India’s High Courts must develop the preparedness and responsiveness of modern hospital emergency wards to meet rapidly evolving challenges such as cyber-offences, digital evidence and complex environmental disputes, Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant said on Saturday.
He said that the justice system is entering a period where traditional processes will not be sufficient to handle the speed, scale and complexity of new forms of crime and conflict.
“High Courts must begin to envision their institutional growth much like a modern hospital designs its emergency services - with structures that are equipped to respond swiftly, decisively and with precision at the very moment a crisis arises.”
Justice Kant was speaking at the silver jubilee celebration of the Jharkhand High Court in Ranchi.
He said that courts across the country will increasingly face disputes shaped by technology, climate pressures and demographic shifts. Thus, they must overhaul their capacities accordingly.
“As Judges, we now confront a world transformed by technology, climate pressures, demographic shifts, and rapidly evolving forms of crime. Digital evidence and cyber-offences have reshaped the nature of disputes, demanding new forms of judicial training and infrastructure.”
Environmental degradation, resource conflicts and scientifically complex questions will require deeper judicial insight and specialised expertise, he added.
The CJI-designate further said that persistent challenges of rising caseloads, unequal access to representation and procedural delays continue to strain the justice system.
He emphasised that High Courts hold a unique position in India’s constitutional structure because they sit closest to people’s lived experiences and are often the first forum where fundamental principles like due process and equality acquire concrete meaning.
“The presence of a High Court in every State ensures that justice is truly local, immediate, and within reach.”
The future of courts will require capacity to respond instantly to emerging situations, just as emergency medical units must, the judge said. That requires improved technology, streamlined procedures and specialised judicial training.
“Only with such foresight can the Judiciary continue to deliver timely and effective remedies, rising to every challenge with the speed and clarity that a constitutional democracy demands."
He concluded by saying that the coming decades will redefine how courts handle evidence, technology and crises, and that institutional preparedness must be treated as a constitutional responsibility.