'SC Rapidly Embracing Technology But Emphasis On Swadeshi Jurisprudence': CJI At Oxford Lecture

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has said the Supreme Court of India has embraced information technology as an aid to human reasoning rather than as a substitute for independent judicial thought. The CJI, however, hastened to add that considerable emphasis has been placed upon the development of what may be described as a distinctly Indian or “Swadeshi Jurisprudence”: one that remains attentive to our own constitutional values, institutional realities, linguistic diversity, and social conditions rather than relying solely upon imported technological models or assumptions. CJI Kant said this in his lecture at Oxford Union and Oxford Law Society in the United Kingdom while speaking on the subject ‘Constitutional Promise to Digital Reality:

Safeguarding Justice Age of AI and Technological Advancement’. Ever since he took over as Chief Justice on November 24, 2025, Justice Kant has been championing this structural shift, emphasising that while technology provides the modern "connective tissue" for the court system, the substantive legal philosophy must be rooted in India’s unique social realities, cultural diversity, and constitutional identity. He said to bridge India’s deep linguistic divides, SC also developed SUVAS (Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software), an artificial intelligence translation engine engineered to interpret weighty English judgments into multiple regional languages. “This tool ensures that the substantive law of the land belongs to the public, rather than remaining locked within an elite linguistic monoculture,” he added.“I must also acknowledge that many of these technological advancements have been possible only because of the remarkable adaptability of the younger members of the legal profession. Across the spectrum, from the Supreme Court to the District Courts, young lawyers, judicial officers, and legal researchers have demonstrated an impressive willingness to engage with new technologies, understand their possibilities, and confront the challenges that accompany them. Their openness to innovation and their ability to navigate rapidly evolving technological tools have played a significant role in ensuring that digital transformation within the justice delivery system is not merely an institutional aspiration but a practical reality," said the CJI.

Regulatory framework for AI use: 10 features

CJI Kant said in order to address some of these systemic concerns, the Supreme Court of India is presently engaged in the process of developing a regulatory framework for the use of Artificial Intelligence within the judicial system. The objective is to ensure that the adoption of such technologies is guided by clearly articulated principles governing their development, deployment, and use in court processes. He said this will involve: (i)The use of AI being subservient to human judgment and judicial authority; (ii) Consistency with the provisions of the Indian Constitution and the Rule of Law; (iii)AI systems being designed and trained in a manner that promotes fairness and avoids discrimination; (iv)Ensuring every AI system used in the court process meets the high standards of transparency and explainability; (v)Accountability for all decisions made by AI; (vi)Systems being subject to continuous monitoring and periodic audits to detect and address any errors, malfunctions or biases; (vii)Processing of personal data being made subject to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023; (viii) Utilisation only for specific purposes approved by the appropriate authority; (ix) Ensuring proportionality, inclusivity, accessibility and data integrity; and (x)Protection of court data by robust, layered and continuously updated technical and organisational security measures.