Panaji: In the age of technology and AI, the task before the justice system today is neither to resist technology nor surrender to it, but to discipline it so that innovation remains a servant and never a master of justice, said CJI Surya Kant on Sunday.Justice systems today are facing pressures of a completely different kind, but not that of autonomy or independence of the judiciary, the CJI said at the closing ceremony of the 2nd edition of the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association International Legal Conference, here.
“…of courts expected to be faster yet more careful, more accessible yet more restrained, transparent yet insulated from transient fashions,” he said.“Technology promises efficiency but also introduces a new type of power and new risk to fairness. Globalisation invites comparative learning but local realities demand deep contextual sensitivity. Consider technology can reduce distance, simplify access and democratise information, but it can never replace judgement. AI may assist but cannot waive human suffering. Data may inform but cannot supply consciousness,” Justice Kant said.“As we look ahead, the question before the legal community will only grow more complex,” he said. “AI will raise new questions of accountability, climate change will test our notions of intergenerational justice, digital platforms will continue to blur the lines between expression and harm, speed and fairness; none of these challenges admits of easy answers…”Referring to the growing recognition of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), especially mediation, he said, “Mediation is not a retreat from adjudication nor an abdication of judicial responsibility, but an acknowledgement of a simple truth: not every dispute requires a verdict, and many require something far more difficult — dialogue, understanding and closure,” he said.“A mature justice system therefore must know not just how to decide disputes but also when to resolve them differently. Courts, by embracing mediation as a core institutional value, do not weaken their authority but preserve it by ensuring that justice remains humane, timely and responsible to those it serves,” he said.
