Opinion | AI and Justice Delivery: Promise and Perils

For a very long time, India’s justice system has been slow and complicated. Courts have millions of pending cases, and it often takes years for people to get justice. For many ordinary citizens, especially villagers or daily wage workers, the legal system feels far away, costly and hard to understand. Even though judges and lawyers work very hard, the huge number of cases makes it almost impossible to deliver timely justice. In the end, justice often becomes something only a few people can access instead of being a right for everyone.

This is where Artificial Intelligence or AI is starting to help. AI is no longer just a tech term. It is already changing many areas like banking, healthcare, education, farming and mobile services. Now it is slowly coming into the courts too. People hope that AI can reduce pending cases, help judges and lawyers make faster decisions and make legal procedures easier for everyone to understand.

The possibilities are huge. AI tools can read thousands of pages of court documents in seconds, find important past cases and even draft simple legal papers. Imagine a villager who knows nothing about the law talking to an AI chatbot. The chatbot can explain his rights step by step, answer his questions in simple language and guide him through the legal process. With tools like this, courts will feel less intimidating, and justice will become easier to get for everyone.

India is already using AI in the judiciary. In 2019, the Supreme Court started SUVAS, a software that translates court documents into Indian languages. By 2024, it had translated tens of thousands of judgments, which are now available on the e-SCR portal. High Courts in several states are also using this software, helping people read judgments in their own languages. In 2021, the Supreme Court introduced SUPACE, a tool that helps judges review complex case files faster and more accurately. These projects show that AI is already helping courts work more efficiently in India.

These AI initiatives in courts are part of a bigger push for digital change in governance. The government, under Prime Minister Modi, is promoting programs like Digital India and e-Courts to make public services more accessible and efficient. Adding AI carefully to these systems can make justice faster, transparent and easier for citizens.

AI is also changing how lawyers work. Senior and junior lawyers used to spend hours researching cases and drafting documents. Now AI tools can do these routine tasks in minutes. This saves time for senior lawyers so they can focus on complex arguments and strategy. Junior lawyers can get information quickly, understand cases better and focus on strategy, client interaction and preparing arguments. AI acts like a helpful assistant, but human experience, judgment and courtroom skills are still very important. This way, the legal process becomes faster and more efficient without replacing people.

At the same time, we must be careful. AI works on existing data, and if that data has biases, the system could repeat them. Justice needs human understanding and empathy, which machines cannot provide. AI should only support judges, not replace them.

Privacy is another big concern. Court data is highly sensitive, and misuse could harm people. Strong safeguards and rules are needed to make sure AI stays a helpful tool and not a threat.

AI in justice delivery has both promise and danger. If we use it wisely, with human values and strong safeguards, it can make justice faster, reduce pending cases and make courts easier to access. But if it is misused or left unchecked, it could create new kinds of injustice. India has a chance to show the world how to use AI responsibly. Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, this balance looks possible, giving hope that the future of justice will depend not only on judges and lawyers but also on how carefully we use artificial intelligence.

advmirimran@gmail.com