The government, led by Narendra Modi, is set to bring artificial intelligence into the judiciary to help speed up routine cases like petty crimes, traffic violations, and land disputes. Known as “robo judges,” these AI tools will help judges quickly process case details, past rulings, and evidence, but judges will continue to make the final decisions.

District and sessions court judges are being trained to use AI systems. Some will also travel abroad to learn from countries where AI in courts has already been tested successfully. Since April, two batches of 70–80 ICT officers and judges have completed training in Singapore, with more batches planned.

The concept of AI-assisted verdicts started in Estonia in 2019, where minor disputes under 7,000 euros were resolved using AI. China later expanded this model, applying AI to millions of cases. India has been studying these approaches and is now implementing them.

The Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) is guiding the programme, training judges on global practices and ethical AI use. Dr Surabhi Pandey, associate professor at IIPA, said:

“Artificial Intelligence(AI) has emerged as a transformative force across multiple sectors and the judicial and legal professions are no exception. The integration of AI into legal practice and judicial decision-making has brought about significant efficiencies, improved access to justice, and enhanced legal research capabilities. However, AI also presents challenges related to ethical considerations, potential biases, and questions about its reliability in legal decision-making.”

Dr Pandey explained that AI can analyse case laws, summarise documents, predict outcomes, and categorise information, reducing manual work. Studies show AI in courts has led to 15–20% fewer pending cases and 30% faster case processing in cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai.

India’s lower courts are struggling with over 3.6 crore pending cases. Officials say AI can help speed up decisions while keeping judges in charge.

“We cannot afford to ignore how the world is moving. The question is not whether AI will enter the courts. It is how prepared we will be when it does. This is about integrating AI into the judicial system for faster disposal of a section of cases and reducing pendency," a senior official said.

The age of robo judges is now coming to India, not as replacements, but as tools to make justice faster and more efficient.