Jaisalmer: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday advocated for a “unified judicial policy” and highlighted the role of technology in aligning standards and practices across courts, creating a seamless experience for citizens irrespective of their location.
Speaking at the West Zone Regional Conference in Jaisalmer, the CJI proposed the establishment of a “national judicial ecosystem” and called for an overhaul of India’s judicial system through the integration of technology.
“Today, as technology reduces geographical barriers and enables convergence, it invites us to think of justice not as regional systems operating in parallel, but as one national ecosystem with shared standards, seamless interfaces, and coordinated goals,” he said.
Kant noted that India’s federal structure has led high courts to evolve their own practices and technological capacities, resulting in regional variations. He stressed that technology can break down these barriers, modernising the delivery of justice and making it more accessible to citizens nationwide.
“Technology is no longer merely an administrative convenience. It has evolved into a constitutional instrument that strengthens equality before the law, expands access to justice, and enhances institutional efficiency,” he said.
The CJI emphasised predictability as a cornerstone of public trust in the judicial system. “A core expectation citizens place upon the courts is predictability. They should not only expect fair treatment but also consistency in how cases are handled across the country,” he said.
He highlighted the potential of data-driven tools to identify systemic delays, monitor pendency in real time, and prioritise urgent cases, including bail petitions and habeas corpus matters. “Where delay causes deep harm, the system must respond with urgency,” he said.
Kant also addressed the clarity and uniformity of judicial decisions, noting that litigants often struggle to understand judgments due to complex legal language. “A unified judicial approach must therefore extend to how we communicate outcomes,” he said.
On emerging technological tools, the CJI pointed to AI-based research assistants and digital case management systems that can streamline judicial processes by highlighting missing precedents, clustering similar legal questions, and simplifying factual narration. He also highlighted existing platforms like the National Judicial Data Grid and e-courts, which standardise filings and case tracking.
“Technology allows the judiciary to transcend physical barriers and bureaucratic rigidities to deliver outcomes that are timely, transparent and principled,” he said, adding that the integration of technology strengthens public trust and upholds the integrity of the system.
“The measure of innovation is not the complexity of the software we deploy, but the simplicity with which a citizen understands the outcome of their case and believes that justice has been served,” Kant concluded.
With PTI inputs