The Supreme Court of India will soon use artificial intelligence (AI) to handle the case list and bench allocation, removing human intervention in the process. According to Bar&Bench, the decision was taken by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.
Under the current system, the CJI, as master of the list, allocates cases to different benches.
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Why did SC decide to use AI?
According to the report, the proposed reform follows an internal investigation that reportedly uncovered two deeper problems in the registry.
This includes the long tenure of some officials in the same positions and an outdated technological infrastructure, resulting in irregular and incorrect case assignments.
The report said the errors were revealed during proceedings before a bench of CJI Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi.
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The Bench was hearing a petition challenging the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 on the ground of objection to Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
During the hearing, the UP government informed the court that a similar challenge had already been dismissed by a three-judge Bench in December 2022.
Despite the dismissal, a similar petition came up in the list of causes before the new bench.
What SC said
CJI Kant took strong exception to the lapse. Although senior advocate Shoeb Alam sought to withdraw the plea, CJI Kant ordered that it remain pending before the court and be taken to its logical conclusion. The CJI then announced that a deeper administrative inquiry would follow.
What CJI said about using AI
Earlier this week, the CJI highlighted the apex court’s commitment to use artificial intelligence to improve the justice delivery system.
Artificial intelligence would be used to deliver speedy, accessible and genuine justice, adding that the apex court’s research center has been rejuvenated to identify and address the reasons behind pending cases, the CJI said on Sunday.
“We are using AI optimistically, positively and constructively. For this we have formed a separate committee. Supreme Court AI Committee. We will use AI to its maximum optimal potential for speedy justice, affordable justice and real justice,” he said.
SC praises CMS Kerala HC
Recently, the SC also praised the Case Management System (CMS) developed by the Kerala High Court, terming it “far ahead” of other systems in the country. CMS has transformed the Kerala High Court into India’s first fully digital and paperless court.
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In January, a bench of Justice Vikrama Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta emphasized that the Kerala High Court developed the software in-house without outsourcing and serves as a model for judicial digital transformation across India.
Features of CMS Kerala HC?
Introduced in 2019, the system includes features such as automated case assignment workflow, 24/7 e-filing, dedicated portals for judges, lawyers, litigants and government officials, a smart courtroom equipped with “All-in-One” touch devices that automatically display the current docket for judges and lawyers, and eliminates AI document storage and translation tasks for paper file storage and translation. commands, while maintaining strict human supervision.
Key things
- The adoption of AI by the Supreme Court is a major step towards modernizing the Indian judicial system.
- The initiative aims to address backlog issues and improve allocation transparency.
- The case management system of the Kerala High Court serves as a model for other courts in India.
