Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday said that the judiciary must function like hospitals operating 24×7 to provide immediate relief to the common man.
He stressed the need to strengthen technology and AI-based judicial infrastructure to ensure speedy and accessible justice.
“The time has come for the judiciary to work like hospitals that provide 24×7 emergency services to address the aspirations, requirements, demands, pain and agony of the common man through a system that provides immediate relief,” said CJI Kant.
He was speaking at an event organised by the Madhya Pradesh High Court on the theme: Fragmentation to Fusion: Empowering Justice via United Digital Platform Integration.
CJI Kant, at the outset, congratulated the High Court and the State government for developing software aimed at enhancing judicial access and efficiency.
He noted that such digital systems help litigants receive timely and effective assistance while also enabling access to information regarding the status and outcome of their cases.
Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, CJI Kant said that the period marked a turning point in the judiciary’s adoption of technology.
"The real game changer in terms of the infusion of technology as an integral part of the judicial system came during COVID. At that stage, all of us had doubts. But the Indian judiciary was perhaps the only judiciary that continued performing its constitutional duties. We did not shut our courts. No citizen was denied urgent relief,” CJI Kant recalled.
He added that despite mounting arrears and pendency, the Indian judiciary earned global recognition for ensuring continuity in justice delivery during the pandemic.
On the integration of AI into the judicial system, CJI Kant revealed that the Supreme Court has constituted a committee to examine how artificial intelligence can be utilised to ensure faster disposal of pending cases.
CJI Kant said that technological advancement and the strengthening of digital judicial infrastructure are the only effective ways to save judicial time.
“We should think of deepening technology and AI-based judicial architecture. Technology is the only effective answer to wasting judicial time. It would also bring transparency,” CJI Kant said.
CJI Kant added that the Indian judiciary remains committed to ensuring optimum utilisation of technological advancements and emerging AI tools for the benefit of litigants.
Speaking on the constitutional significance of technology, CJI Kant said that technological advancement is no longer merely an administrative convenience.
“Technology has ceased to be a mere administrative convenience. It is no longer a luxury. It has become a constitutional instrument because the constitutional philosophy under Article 39A is to ensure affordable and timely justice to all without discrimination,” he emphasised.
He added that technology enables the judiciary to transcend procedural rigidity and reach people who earlier found the justice system distant and inaccessible.
At the same time, CJI Kant cautioned that technological advancement must remain inclusive. Referring to States such as Madhya Pradesh, he noted that many people in rural and tribal regions still find digital systems unfamiliar and intimidating.
CJI Kant emphasised that greater investment in technological training and digital awareness is necessary to ensure meaningful access to justice for all sections of society.