Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Law & Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal recently revealed in Parliament that the government is actively exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a "smart" judicial system..The use of these technologies - including Machine Learning (ML), Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) - are aimed at minimising manual data entry and file scrutiny, ultimately leading to a smoother user experience.“Al is being used in areas such as intelligent scheduling, prediction and forecast, improving administrative efficiency, Natural Language Processing (NLP), automated filing, enhancing the case information system, communicating with the litigants through chatbots and translation,” the response said. .To address crucial data protection and privacy concerns, a sub-committee of six High Court judges, supported by a technical working group of experts, has been formed, the response noted. This committee, appointed by Supreme Court of India eCommittee Chairperson and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, will evaluate the digital infrastructure and network solutions under the eCourts project. The panel's mandate is to recommend secure connectivity and authentication mechanisms that safeguard data and protect citizens' privacy..According to the response, the government has earmarked a substantial amount of ₹7,210 crore for eCourts Phase III, encompassing 24 project components. One key component, "Future Technological Advancement," specifically addresses the integration of AI, blockchain and other emerging technologies. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Phase III allocates ₹53.57 crore for this component till 2027..The response was given to a question raised by Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain in the Rajya Sabha, seeking clarity on the government’s efforts to leverage AI for case management, data privacy and reducing judicial backlogs.The question was asked even as it was revealed in Parliament that 5.19 crore cases are pending before courts across the country..[Read response]
