AI-based resolution of cheque bounce cases is feasible: Ex-CJI Chandrachud

Ex Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud on Saturday said that artificial intelligence (AI) may be deployed to decide limited categories of litigation including cheque dishonour disputes, given their volume and transactional nature..Justice Chandrachud said India must recognise the distinction between areas where AI can accelerate adjudication and those where human oversight remains indispensable.In that backdrop, he highlighted the staggering number of cheque bounce matters pending across Indian magistrate courts and suggested that an AI-enabled adjudicatory model could be considered for such disputes.“One of the largest categories of pending cases in India, for instance, are the cheque-bounce cases. It is possible to contemplate automated handling of disputes where the outcomes do not have a very significant impact on basic or fundamental human rights," he said.Such experimentation can ease judicial pendency without eroding fairness, Justice Chandrachud opined.He was speaking at the IBA Litigation and ADR Symposium session themed “The benefits and impact of artificial intelligence on dispute resolution – is India’s Grand Trunk Road warning ‘speed thrills but kills’ at all relevant in this context?”His keynote address was on the topic of technology, constitutionalism and the future of dispute resolution.The session was chaired by Carlo Portatadino of Tombari D’Angelo e Associati, Milan, who also co-chairs the IBA Litigation Committee. The panel comprised Senior Advocate Jayant Mehta, Mahesh Rai of Drew & Napier (Singapore); and Professor Tania Sourdin of Australia's University of Newcastle..Justice Chandrachud pointed out that India has had its own experience with automation through Delhi’s virtual courts, which absorbed routine traffic cases earlier handled by dozens of magistrates.That reallocation allowed judicial officers to focus on matters demanding meaningful adjudication. A similar approach could be extended to cheque dishonour litigation, he suggested..However, Justice Chandrachud cautioned that housing and rent control litigation must remain under human supervision given the risk of eviction or displacement of vulnerable tenants. He also identified motor accident compensation claims as a space where AI could be introduced optionally — binding insurers while giving victims the choice to accept an instant award or seek judicial adjudication.The former CJI tied these ideas back to the symposium’s framing, noting that efficiency is increasingly a constitutional value but cannot be allowed to eclipse access and fairness. India’s emphasis on maximal procedural guarantees and access to justice had sometimes created a system unable to deliver outcomes on time, he said..Justice Chandrachud also reflected on how AI will reshape the legal profession and described it as a disruptor that will require resilience from lawyers and adjudicators. While acknowledging concerns over replacement of some traditional functions, he characterised the shift as a form of creative disruption that can expand access and relieve judges of repetitive burdens if safeguards are properly designed.Ultimately, he stressed the need for explainable AI systems that allow contestation, safeguard dignity and enhance rather than replace judgment. Technology, must remain a means to accelerate justice, not a substitute for its values, he said..Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.