AI can assist justice delivery, but cannot be decision-maker, says SC judge N V Anjaria
Gandhinagar: Artificial intelligence can help analyse large volumes of judicial data and identify trends that may escape the human eye, but it cannot decide what should be done in an individual case, Supreme Court judge Justice N V Anjaria said on Saturday, while stressing that AI must remain an aid, rather than a decision-maker, in the justice delivery system.
Justice Anjaria was speaking at the inauguration of the ‘India Digital ADR Summit-2026’ at the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar.
He also launched the ‘SAMYAK’ portal, a digital initiative of the university’s International Digital Dispute Resolution Centre (IDDRC).
“If AI is to be used on a large scale in arbitration or any judicial process, certain essential aspects have to be taken into consideration. AI can be part of the justice delivery system, but cannot be the decision-maker,” Justice Anjaria said.
He said AI could help understand what had happened across hundreds of cases and identify patterns and trends that might not be readily visible to humans.
However, he made a distinction between using technology to assist in analysing cases and allowing it to determine the outcome of a particular case.
Attorney General of India, R Venkataramani, who also addressed the gathering, spoke to law students about the importance of developing an investigative approach.
“Doubt, refutation and verification are the foundations of science and students must cultivate the habits of questioning, challenging and verifying information,” he said.
Venkataramani also described NFSU as having the potential to emerge as a global hub of excellence and said its early achievements would help establish its international reputation.
Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal congratulated the IDDRC on the launch of the SAMYAK portal, describing it as a “unique initiative”.
She said clear rules are needed for the incorporation of artificial intelligence into legal institutions.
“Such rules should clearly distinguish between tasks where AI could be used and those that must remain within the exclusive domain of human judgement and discretion in the dispute resolution process,” she asserted.
The summit was attended by former Supreme Court judges M R Shah and Rajesh Bindal, besides Gujarat State Human Rights Commission Chairman Dr K J Thaker, former Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Justice Soniya Gokani and former Chief Justice Justice Dr A C Joshi.