New Delhi: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually entering India’s courts, though still in an experimental phase. Minister of State for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal, informed the Lok Sabha that several steps have been taken to modernise how the judiciary handles digital evidence, cyber offences, and electronic records.
Addressing members of the House, Meghwal highlighted that offences under the Information Technology Act, 2000—such as identity theft (Section 66C), cheating by impersonation online (Section 66D), and transmission of obscene material (Sections 67, 67A, 67B)—are being taken seriously. He explained that many of these offences are also covered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, India’s new criminal code, which includes sections on electronic forgery (Section 336) and falsification of digital records (Section 340).
Recognising the increasing threat from manipulated digital content, the government has made efforts to strengthen how courts handle electronic evidence. Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 now requires electronic record authentication certificates to verify the genuineness of digital material presented in court.
As part of a transparency drive, court proceedings across the country are being live-streamed under the eCourts Mission Mode Project. Authentic judgments are available on the official portal to make information more accessible and trustworthy for the public. Phase III of the eCourts project, with a budget of ₹7,210 crore, aims to modernise India’s justice system using information and communication technology, improving both efficiency and accessibility.
A portion of ₹53.57 crore under this phase has been allocated to explore advanced technologies such as AI and blockchain. The Supreme Court of India has already set up an Artificial Intelligence Committee to study how these tools can assist judges and court staff. However, Meghwal clarified that there is no formal policy yet for the widespread use of AI in judicial processes, as these remain in a pilot stage under the approved project plan.
The judiciary is also aware of challenges such as data privacy, translation accuracy, and the risk of algorithmic bias. To tackle these concerns, a sub-committee of six High Court judges, along with technical experts, is reviewing secure data connectivity and privacy measures across the eCourts system.
Two pilot AI tools have already been introduced — Legal Research Analysis Assistant (LegRAA), which helps judges with legal research and document review, and Digital Courts 2.1, a platform that offers voice-to-text and translation support to streamline judgment writing and case management. So far, according to officials, these tools have shown no systemic errors or unintended results.