Judicial Officers From Odisha Take Training On 'Artificial Intelligence & Law' From South Asian University

A group of Judicial Officers from the State of Odisha recently took virtual training on the subject of 'Artificial Intelligence & Law' imparted by Faculty of Legal Studies, South Asian University, New Delhi.

Twenty Judicial Officers-cum-Master Trainers, ten from the cadre of District Judge and ten from the cadre of Civil Judge (Senior Division), were nominated and sponsored by the Odisha Judicial Academy to take training on the above subject. The initiative to impart training was spearheaded by Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh.

The very object of such course was to make the trainees familiar with the pathways in which AI is used in the legal system, as well as the potentials and pitfalls that come with it and the best practices and strategies for AI governance.

The course also uncovered the issues such as algorithmic discrimination, biases, prejudice, privacy concerns, and inclusion-exclusion manipulations that are particularly brought on by the employment of AI, global initiatives and how the current international legal system shapes AI reception and governance, how AI has altered legal procedures, socio-legal context of South Asian practices and devise workable ways to address the intricate legal realities of algorithms.

The course focused on a wide range of legal and policy issues brought on by AI, machine learning and other emerging technologies by aiding in understanding how emerging technologies particularly machine learning, blockchain, and digital platforms are changing the idea and practice of law.

The Course mainly covered the following areas of intersection of Law & AI:

i. Introduction to AI and the legal challenges;

ii. AI application in public law and impact on individual liberty;

iii. AI application in intellectual property law;

iv. AI and the criminal justice adjudication in national and international law;

v. AI, security and conflicts;

vi. AI, future of refugee and climate protection;

vii. AI, public opinion and democracy.

The course was designed by eminent resource persons including advocates of the Supreme Court, academicians from India and abroad as well as AI experts.

Pertinently, the Odisha Judiciary has been a front-runner in adapting technology into the judicial system. It is the first State in the country to have paperless Courts in all the districts. It has garnered praise and commendation from the Supreme Court for creatively using technology in dispensation of justice.