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AI can’t replace judicial conscience: CJI

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 28 Aug 2026 28 Aug 2026

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Wednesday said artificial intelligence (AI) can augment judicial reasoning but cannot substitute judicial conscience, stressing that judicial decisions must remain firmly in the hands of judges and legally authorised judicial officers.

Speaking at a bilateral meeting with Ulrich Herrmann, presiding judge of the Federal Court of Justice at Karlsruhe, Germany, CJI Kant said the Indian judiciary is using AI in defined support functions, including legal research, judgment translation into 16 languages and a conversational interface that helps citizens access information on case status and procedures.

He said such technologies are intended to reduce repetitive administrative work and do not determine judicial outcomes.

“Artificial intelligence may augment judicial reasoning, but it cannot substitute judicial conscience,” Kant said.

He said draft regulations prepared by the Supreme Court’s AI Committee allow AI to be used for administrative functions such as scheduling, transcription and translation, while prohibiting its use for assessing witness credibility, flight risk, recidivism or bail eligibility.

A permanent apex body has also been proposed to oversee the adoption of AI and ensure accountability in its use, he said. “Our two judiciaries share the same underlying responsibility: to preserve judicial independence and public confidence while adapting our institutions to new forms of litigation and new expectations of access,” the CJI said.

“Technology and administrative reform can support this responsibility, but neither can replace careful adjudication, human judgment and fidelity to law,” he added.

Kant also highlighted the growing role of mediation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in improving access to justice. He said institutional mediation centres, Lok Adalats and digital Lok Adalats, including the Supreme Court’s recent special Lok Adalat, Samadhan Samaroh, have helped bring settlement mechanisms within reach of litigants beyond major cities. He said trained professionals, case managers and secure digital systems have supported these initiatives.

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