Young Legal Minds Power Judiciary’s Digital Transformation, Says CJI Surya Kant

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said that young lawyers, judicial officers and legal professionals are emerging as a key force behind the judiciary’s ongoing technological transformation, helping accelerate the adoption of digital reforms across the legal system.

Speaking at the Oxford Union on the theme, “Constitutional Promise to Digital Reality: Safeguarding Justice in the Age of AI and Technological Advancement,” the CJI praised the younger generation of legal practitioners for their willingness to embrace new technologies.

He noted that district court judicial officers, government lawyers and legal advisers working with corporate entities have shown remarkable adaptability in integrating technology into their work. According to him, their enthusiasm and readiness to adopt innovative tools have encouraged the Indian judiciary to implement a range of reform-oriented changes.

At the same time, Justice Kant cautioned against viewing artificial intelligence as a substitute for human decision-making in the justice system. While acknowledging AI’s ability to process vast amounts of legal information, identify procedural patterns and streamline administrative functions with speed and accuracy, he stressed that technology has inherent limitations.

“An artificial intelligence system can process immense volumes of legal text with astonishing speed. It can map procedural trends and eliminate administrative checkpoints with clinical precision,” he said.

However, the CJI emphasised that AI lacks the essential qualities that form the foundation of justice, including empathy, ethical judgment and contextual understanding . These human attributes, he said, remain indispensable in judicial decision-making and cannot be replicated by machines.

The event began with welcome remarks by advocate Tanvi Dubey .