News & Announcement
Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence Take Centre Stage at Judicial Conclave
Gangtok, May 2 (IPR): The second day of the National Conclave on Technology and Judicial Education at Chintan Bhawan witnessed in-depth deliberations on the integration of emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence into judicial administration.
The proceedings under Conference–I brought together Hon’ble Chief Justices, Computer Committee Chairpersons, and Central Project Coordinators from across the country to examine practical pathways for digital transformation in the judiciary.
Session III, on the theme “Why Blockchain for Judicial Administration,” was chaired by Hon’ble Mr Justice Soumen Sen, Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala, with Hon’ble Mr Justice GS Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, as Co-Chair.
The session featured panel discussions by Hon’ble Mr Justice Debangsu Basak, Judge, Calcutta High Court, Hon’ble Mr Justice Ananda Sen, Judge, Jharkhand High Court and Mr Basava Prabhu S Patil, Advocate General of Sikkim.
The session was moderated by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Suman Shyam, Judge of the Bombay High Court and had Mr Joseph Rajesh K A, Central Project Coordinator, High Court of Kerala, as discussant.
The session highlighted existing challenges in judicial administration, including reliance on manual registers, file tracking systems, process service logs, and evidence custody mechanisms, which are often time-consuming and vulnerable to tampering.
Experts noted that blockchain technology offers solutions through immutable time-stamping, distributed verification systems, tamper-evident records, and automated audit trails, thereby enhancing transparency, efficiency, and reliability in court processes.
Session IV, titled “Where AI Can Be Safely Introduced First,” was chaired by Hon’ble Mrs Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of the High Court of Gujarat, with Hon’ble Mr Justice M Sundar, Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur, as Co-Chair.
The panel included Hon’ble Mr Justice Michale Zothankhuma, Judge from the Gauhati High Court, Hon’ble Dr Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, Judge, Rajasthan High Court, and Hon’ble Mr Justice Nikhil S Kariel, Judge, Gujarat High Court, and was moderated by Hon’ble Mr Justice Anoop Chitkara, Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court with Dr John Varghese, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Pathanamthitta,Kerala as Discussant.
Deliberations in this session focused on the safe and phased introduction of artificial intelligence in judicial systems. It was observed that AI can be effectively deployed in registry functions, case-flow management, filing scrutiny, document handling, scheduling, and recording of witness testimonies. At the same time, participants emphasised the need for caution in extending AI into judicial decision-making, reaffirming that human judgement remains central to the justice delivery process.
The discussions reflected a consensus that while technology offers transformative potential, its adoption must be guided by principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability, ensuring that the core values of the judicial system are preserved.
The conclave continues to serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices, aimed at strengthening a modern, efficient, and inclusive judicial framework.
The proceedings under Conference–I brought together Hon’ble Chief Justices, Computer Committee Chairpersons, and Central Project Coordinators from across the country to examine practical pathways for digital transformation in the judiciary.
Session III, on the theme “Why Blockchain for Judicial Administration,” was chaired by Hon’ble Mr Justice Soumen Sen, Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala, with Hon’ble Mr Justice GS Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, as Co-Chair.
The session featured panel discussions by Hon’ble Mr Justice Debangsu Basak, Judge, Calcutta High Court, Hon’ble Mr Justice Ananda Sen, Judge, Jharkhand High Court and Mr Basava Prabhu S Patil, Advocate General of Sikkim.
The session was moderated by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Suman Shyam, Judge of the Bombay High Court and had Mr Joseph Rajesh K A, Central Project Coordinator, High Court of Kerala, as discussant.
The session highlighted existing challenges in judicial administration, including reliance on manual registers, file tracking systems, process service logs, and evidence custody mechanisms, which are often time-consuming and vulnerable to tampering.
Experts noted that blockchain technology offers solutions through immutable time-stamping, distributed verification systems, tamper-evident records, and automated audit trails, thereby enhancing transparency, efficiency, and reliability in court processes.
Session IV, titled “Where AI Can Be Safely Introduced First,” was chaired by Hon’ble Mrs Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of the High Court of Gujarat, with Hon’ble Mr Justice M Sundar, Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur, as Co-Chair.
The panel included Hon’ble Mr Justice Michale Zothankhuma, Judge from the Gauhati High Court, Hon’ble Dr Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, Judge, Rajasthan High Court, and Hon’ble Mr Justice Nikhil S Kariel, Judge, Gujarat High Court, and was moderated by Hon’ble Mr Justice Anoop Chitkara, Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court with Dr John Varghese, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Pathanamthitta,Kerala as Discussant.
Deliberations in this session focused on the safe and phased introduction of artificial intelligence in judicial systems. It was observed that AI can be effectively deployed in registry functions, case-flow management, filing scrutiny, document handling, scheduling, and recording of witness testimonies. At the same time, participants emphasised the need for caution in extending AI into judicial decision-making, reaffirming that human judgement remains central to the justice delivery process.
The discussions reflected a consensus that while technology offers transformative potential, its adoption must be guided by principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability, ensuring that the core values of the judicial system are preserved.
The conclave continues to serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices, aimed at strengthening a modern, efficient, and inclusive judicial framework.
