Supreme Court To Implement AI Tool To Generate Summary Of Pleadings: Delhi High Court ACJ Manmohan

Delhi High Court's Acting Chief Justice Manmohan has said that the e-committee of the Supreme Court of India is in the process of implementing an Artificial Intelligence tool known as (AI Saransh) developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for précis of the pleadings.

The judge said that AI tools can be used to generate a précis of the pleadings of the parties, highlighting the contentious issues between the them.

ACJ Manmohan was speaking at IBA International Conference Mexico City 2024 organized by International Bar Association. The topic was “India: the moon landing only the beginning?”

The judge said that Indian courts and ADR proceedings alike have embraced digital case management systems to a large extent and that all documents are submitted through a single platform, making communication easier.

He highlighted about usage of AI-enabled transcription tool TERES and AI SUVAS for multi-lingual transcription and translation of judgments in vernacular languages in the Supreme Court of India and Delhi High Court.

“The prevailing view is that Artificial Intelligence ought to be harnessed to improve efficiency in ADR and justice delivery processes, offering deeper insights, and achieving a level of precision that was previously unattainable. Large language models (LLMs) are highly effective in analyzing, comparing, and summarizing documents. They can streamline the review process by quickly processing large volumes of text,” ACJ said.

Furthermore, the judge said that in India, there is no unfair favoritism towards State entities or prejudice against foreign entities and that India stands out as a country where Rule of Law prevails.

He emphasised that a robust legal and judicial framework will remain a cornerstone for its investment appeal and commercial success.

“It gladdens my heart that India stands out as a country, where the Rule of Law prevails. There is no unfair favoritism towards State entities or prejudice against foreign entities. Our courts have generally risen above all this. For investors, this translates into greater confidence in the Indian market. For businesses, it means operating in a system where legal disputes can be resolved more swiftly and fairly,” the judge said.

Stating that India had earlier lacked a statutory mediation framework for long, ACJ Manmohan said that the Mediation Act, 2023 passed in August 2023 has filled the vacuum and the mediation or conciliation pace is expected to further accelerate.

“Thus, the Indian legislature is actively fostering a culture of alternative dispute resolution in India for resolving disputes in a time bound manner, awarding greater party autonomy, ensuring minimal court interference and protecting confidentiality of the dispute,” he said.

The judge further said that the 2015 Amendment to the Arbitration Act promotes international commercial arbitration, boosting party autonomy and ensuring minimal interference from the judiciary.

“The subsequent amendments of 2019 and 2021 show the continuing legislative intent to iron out the creases and make India an arbitration-friendly regime. One also cannot miss the  launch of the Arbitration Bar of India for promoting excellence, professionalism, and ethics in arbitration and expanding the pool of competent arbitrators,” he said.

The judge also discussed about the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and said that it has fostered greater coordination, reduced tax barriers, and streamlined the tax system, leading to improved efficiency and competitiveness in the Indian economy.

“By replacing a complex web of indirect taxes, GST has simplified the tax structure, reduced costs of compliance, and eliminated snow ball effect of taxes. This promotes transparency, facilitates easier business operations and encourages investment,” he said.

The speech also focused on the introduction of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. ACJ said that the enactment has played a crucial role by fostering trust and security in digital transactions.

“By establishing clear guidelines on how personal and sensitive data can be handled, the Act helps businesses safeguard consumer information and comply with legal standards. This reduces the risk of data breaches and associated costs and also enhances consumer confidence, encouraging more engagement with digital platforms. Ultimately, the Data Protection Act supports a more stable and thriving digital economy by ensuring that data privacy is prioritized and maintained,” he said.

“In conclusion, without continued legal reforms - growth can be like a rush hour traffic jam with no movement ! So strengthening of the judicial system is essential for sustaining growth, fostering innovation, and achieving long-term economic development. As India progresses, a robust legal and judicial framework will remain a cornerstone for its investment appeal and commercial success,” the judge concluded.