AI is Rapidly Transforming India’s Legal Ecosystem

Syllabus: GS2/Governance; GS3/Science and Technology

Context

• The recently concluded India AI Impact Summit 2026 showcased how AI is rapidly transforming India’s legal ecosystem with AI-powered research tools.

Use of AI in India’s Justice System

• In the Supreme Court, High Courts, National Informatics Centre (NIC) AI tools are now assisting various functions such as:  
  • Transcription of oral arguments,
  • Translation of judgments,
  • Identification of defects in e-filing,
  • Legal research, and
  • Metadata extraction.

• Over the past decade, courts have moved from basic computerisation to nationwide digital platforms, real-time data systems, virtual courts and multilingual judgment access.
• Latest technologies like AI and its subsets Machine Learning (ML), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Natural Language Processing (NLP) are being used in the e-Courts software applications developed under the eCourts Project. 

Use of AI in India’s Criminal Justice System

• e-Courts Project: Initiated by the Supreme Court of India to modernize judicial functions through digital innovation.
  • Phase III: Integrates advanced AI solutions to improve case management and administrative efficiency in courts.

• AI for Legal Translation and Language Accessibility: India’s judicial system operates primarily in English, creating barriers for non-English-speaking litigants.
  • AI-driven legal translation tools are being deployed to make legal documents and judgments accessible.
• AI in Law Enforcement and Crime Prevention: To enhance crime detection, surveillance, and criminal investigations.
  • Automated drones for crime scene monitoring and suspect tracking.
  • Facial recognition systems integrated with national criminal databases.
  • AI-powered forensic analysis to examine evidence and digital crime trails.
  • AI-driven speech-to-text tools assist in real-time FIR filing and case documentation.
  • AI is improving witness testimony analysis and courtroom evidence evaluation.

Significance of Use of AI in CJS in India

• Backlog of Cases: India’s judicial system faces a backlog cases, undermining public trust in timely justice.
  • AI can streamline case management, reduce backlog, and speed up judicial processes.
• Overcrowding in Prisons: Indian prisons have been housing more inmates than their capacity for decades now, AI can streamline the complaint registration process, track investigations, flag necessary actions, and assess investigation quality.
• Predictive Models for Operations: AI can analyze crime location data, patrolling patterns, and offender routes to guide police operations effectively.
• Resource Optimization: AI can handle administrative tasks, freeing up police personnel for more public-facing work, such as investigations, law enforcement, and traffic management.
• Enhanced Accuracy: AI can prevent neglect of crucial evidence and ensure a more meticulous and reliable criminal justice process.

Concerns/Challenges

• Privacy Concerns: AI could lead to surveillance overreach and violations of individual privacy rights.
• Bias and Discrimination: AI systems may perpetuate biases in decision-making, affecting marginalized communities unfairly.
• Lack of Transparency: AI algorithms are often opaque, making it difficult to understand how decisions are made, potentially undermining accountability.
• Dependence on Technology: Over-reliance on AI could lead to the erosion of human judgment and discretion in the criminal justice system.
• Data Security: Storing and processing sensitive criminal justice data using AI raises risks of data breaches and misuse.
• Ethical Concerns: The use of AI in sensitive areas like sentencing and parole decisions raises moral and ethical questions about fairness and justice.
  • The opaqueness can go against the principles of open justice, due process and the rule of law.
• Exclusion of Human Insight: AI may overlook nuanced factors in cases that require human empathy and judgment.

Way Ahead

• A balanced approach must be taken to ensure AI tools respect privacy, civil liberties, and ethical standards, while preventing misuse.
• By leveraging AI, India’s criminal justice system can become more efficient, accessible, and just, while ensuring safeguards are in place to address any challenges.

Source: AIR