Parliament Question: Use of AI in legal framework

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3155 ANSWERED ON - 19/03/2026 USE OF AI IN LEGAL FARMEWORK 3155 SHRI C. VE. SHANMUGAM: Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state: (a) whether Government is aware that Al is being used in the legal framework to dispose of the cases quickly; (b) if so, the details thereof, including the guidelines for use of ethical Al in the legal system; (c) the manner in which Al is being used to reduce the pendency of cases and improve efficiency of courts in the country; (d) whether challenges are being faced in implementing Al in the legal system; and (e) if so, the details thereof and the strategy being adopted by Government to address the same? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL) (a) to (e): As part of the National eGovernance Plan, Phase-III of the eCourts Mission Mode project is being implemented for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enablement of the judiciary to make the justice delivery system accessible, cost effective, reliable and transparent. Under eCourts Project Phase III, an amount of Rs. 53.57 crore has been earmarked for the component “Future Technological Advancements” to integrate modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) etc. for smoother user experience. An AI based software tool called Legal Research Analysis Assistant [LegRAA] has been developed to aid judges in legal research and document analysis. Another AI based tool called Digital Courts 2.1 has been designed to assist Hon'ble Judges and Judicial Officers by providing a single window for managing all case-related information and tasks. The platform includes voice-to-text (ASR- 1SHRUTI) and translation (PANINI) functionalities to assist the judges with order and judgment dictation. At present, in the pilot phase of AI based solutions, the eCommittee of the Supreme Court of India reports no systemic bias, unintended content, or other issues. The Supreme Court of India has constituted Artificial Intelligence Committee to explore the use of AI in the judicial domain. However, no formal policy or guidelines exist for adopting AI tools in judicial processes, as AI-based solutions remain in the controlled pilot phase and authorities use AI only within the areas approved in the DPR of eCourts Phase III. Besides, formulation and regulation of operational frameworks in this regard will be governed by the rules of Business and policies of the concerned High Courts. Judiciary is aware that integrating AI into judicial processes poses key challenges such as algorithmic bias, language and translation issues, data privacy and security concerns. Both LegRAA and Digital Courts 2.1 take care of the issues of data privacy and ethical safeguards by using Court’s own data i.e. judgments and orders passed by the Supreme Court, High Courts and District Courts. Further, these tools are to be made available internally to judicial officers, thereby ensuring data privacy. In addition, the eCommittee, Supreme Court of India has formed a Sub-Committee of six High Court judges with technical experts to recommend secure connectivity and authentication mechanism for data and privacy protection, assess the digital infrastructure and service delivery systems under the eCourts Project to strengthen data security. **** 2