The Supreme Court of India has confirmed the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tools in several aspects of court case management, including transcription of oral arguments, translation of judgments, and identification of filing defects—while clarifying that these tools are not used for making judicial decisions.
AI-Driven Transcription and Translation
According to information shared in the Rajya Sabha by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Court has deployed AI-based transcription tools to record oral arguments in Constitution Bench matters. The transcribed content is accessible via the Supreme Court website, and plans are underway to extend this service to regular Thursday hearings.
In collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), AI tools are also being used to translate judgments from English into 18 Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi, and more. These translated judgments are made available through the eSCR portal to improve accessibility.
Enhancing Filing Systems with AI
The Supreme Court Registry, in partnership with IIT Madras, has integrated AI and ML tools with its electronic filing system. These tools help in detecting defects in filed documents, easing the administrative burden on court staff and enhancing the efficiency of case intake.
A prototype version of this system has been released to 200 Advocates-on-Record, who are providing feedback to further refine the system. The tools are also being tested for metadata extraction and defect correction, with integration planned into the Integrated Case Management & Information System (ICMIS).
Also read: Justice Gavai Warns Against AI Risks in Judiciary
SUPACE Still in Development
The AI-based tool SUPACE (Supreme Court Portal Assistance in Court Efficiency) remains in the experimental stage. SUPACE is being designed to assist with understanding case facts and legal precedents through intelligent search capabilities. However, its deployment will depend on the procurement of advanced hardware such as GPUs and Tensor Processing Units.
AI in Judiciary: Supportive, Not Decisive
The Supreme Court has made it clear that while AI supports administrative efficiency, it is not used in any decision-making processes. The goal is to enhance access to justice, reduce delays, and make court processes more transparent without compromising the integrity of judicial reasoning.
As India moves toward a digitally empowered legal ecosystem, these AI deployments mark a significant step in modernizing court infrastructure while maintaining judicial independence.
