The Union Government on Thursday outlined the expanding use of Artificial Intelligence in India’s courts, detailing a range of pilot projects aimed at improving judicial efficiency.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal shared the information in the Rajya Sabha.
According to the Supreme Court’s eCommittee, advanced technologies such as Machine Learning, Optical Character Recognition and Natural Language Processing are already being used in e-Courts software. These tools support translation, forecasting, automated filing, intelligent scheduling and communication with litigants through chatbots.
An AI tool called the Legal Research Analysis Assistant (LegRAA) has been developed by NIC’s Artificial Intelligence Division and the Centre of Excellence (eCourts), NIC Pune. LegRAA helps judges with legal research, document analysis and decision support.
The Digital Courts 2.1 platform has also been introduced to provide judicial officers with integrated judgment databases and annotated document management. It includes automated drafting templates, connects with the JustIS app, and features voice-to-text (ASR–SHRUTI) and translation (PANINI) tools for dictating orders and judgments.
The Supreme Court, in partnership with IIT Madras, has developed AI and ML tools to detect defects in electronic filings. A prototype has been shared with 200 Advocates-on-Record. Additional tools for curing defects, extracting metadata and integrating with the ICMIS case management system are under testing.
Another AI-based project, the Supreme Court Portal Assistance in Court Efficiency (SUPACE), remains in the experimental stage. It aims to understand case facts and conduct intelligent searches for legal precedents.
The government said all AI initiatives remain limited to controlled pilots to ensure their responsible and secure adoption. High Courts will frame operational guidelines for wider use based on these evaluations.
To guide AI integration, the Supreme Court has set up an AI Committee that oversees conceptualisation, implementation and monitoring of such technologies. Under Phase-III of the eCourts Project, which began in 2023–24, ₹53.57 crore has been allocated for future technologies, including AI and blockchain.
AI will be used to improve administrative efficiency, predict case pendency, automate processes and streamline court operations. All AI tools developed under the eCourts Project will be made available to the judiciary nationwide in line with the project’s detailed report.
(with inputs from PIB)
