Tech is now constitutional instrument strengthening equality before law, access to justice: CJI Kant

# Tech Ensures Legal Equality: CJI Surya Kant

**By Legal Correspondent, The Justice Desk, April 11, 2026**

On April 11, 2026, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant declared that technology has evolved into a vital “constitutional instrument” that actively strengthens equality before the law and democratizes access to justice across the nation. Speaking at a high-level national judicial symposium on digital infrastructure, CJI Kant emphasized that technological integration in the courtroom is no longer a mere administrative convenience but a fundamental pillar upholding Article 14 and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. By systematically dismantling geographical, economic, and linguistic barriers, the ongoing digitization of the Indian judiciary ensures that the most vulnerable citizens can seamlessly access the justice system [Source: Hindustan Times | Additional: Supreme Court Public Records].

## From Convenience to Constitutional Mandate

For decades, the Indian judicial system grappled with the dual challenges of massive geographical distances and a daunting backlog of cases. Historically, seeking justice at higher appellate levels required immense financial resources and physical travel, effectively pricing out marginalized communities. However, CJI Surya Kant’s latest address marks a definitive ideological shift in how the Supreme Court views digital infrastructure.

According to the Chief Justice, technology now operates as the great equalizer. **”Equality before the law, as enshrined in Article 14, remains a theoretical promise if the mechanisms of justice are inaccessible to the common citizen,”** CJI Kant observed. By utilizing hybrid hearing models and virtual courts, the judiciary has successfully transformed the ‘right to access justice’—a core component of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21—into a tangible reality. A litigant in a remote village in Odisha or a small town in the Northeast can now witness and participate in a Supreme Court hearing in New Delhi without bearing exorbitant travel and accommodation costs.

This transition from pandemic-era emergency measures to permanent institutional frameworks reflects a maturing judicial vision. The constitutional instrument of technology essentially guarantees that the weight of one’s wallet or the coordinates of their residence do not dictate their ability to seek legal redress.

## Driving e-Courts Phase III and Paperless Registries

The foundation of this constitutional promise relies heavily on the ambitious **e-Courts Phase III project**, which has seen accelerated implementation up to 2026. Backed by an unprecedented financial outlay, Phase III has focused on moving beyond basic computerization toward establishing a fundamentally cloud-based, paperless, and data-driven judicial ecosystem.

Key advancements under this phase include:
* **Smart Courts:** Upgrading physical courtrooms across district and taluka levels with high-definition video conferencing facilities.
* **Digital Registries:** Mandating e-filing for all civil and criminal cases to eliminate the physical movement of files, thereby significantly reducing the risk of document tampering or loss.
* **National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) Expansion:** Integrating lower court data with High Court and Supreme Court metrics in real-time, allowing policymakers to identify bottlenecks and reallocate judicial resources dynamically.

Legal tech policy analyst Dr. Aparna Sen notes the profound impact of these changes. *”What CJI Kant is articulating is the realization of a decades-long dream. The e-Courts project has successfully shifted the focus from ‘court as a place’ to ‘justice as a service.’ This conceptual shift is exactly why technology is now viewed through a constitutional lens rather than just an IT lens,”* she explained.

## Breaking the Linguistic Barrier with Artificial Intelligence

One of the most critical aspects of access to justice is the ability of litigants to comprehend court proceedings and judgments. English has historically been the primary language of the higher judiciary in India, inadvertently alienating a vast majority of the population who speak regional languages.

To bridge this gap, the Supreme Court has aggressively scaled the use of AI-driven translation tools, most notably the **Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUVAS)**. As of early 2026, this machine-learning platform is capable of rapidly translating complex legal judgments, orders, and daily cause lists into over a dozen regional languages with remarkable accuracy.

CJI Kant highlighted AI’s role in democratizing legal knowledge. When citizens can read the rationale behind a legal decision in their mother tongue, it breeds institutional trust and empowers them to make informed legal decisions. Furthermore, AI-powered live transcription of Constitution Bench hearings ensures that deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, as well as law students and researchers across the globe, can follow landmark legal arguments in real-time.

## Bridging the Digital Divide via e-Sewa Kendras

While acknowledging the transformative power of technology, CJI Kant’s address also addressed the elephant in the room: India’s digital divide. For a constitutional instrument to be truly effective, it cannot exclude those without access to smartphones, stable internet, or digital literacy.

To prevent technology from inadvertently creating a new class of disenfranchised citizens, the judiciary has overseen the widespread establishment of **e-Sewa Kendras** (electronic service centers) at court complexes and rural common service centers.

These centers serve as vital lifelines for the technologically unequipped. Trained personnel assist rural litigants in:
1. Checking case statuses and upcoming hearing dates.
2. Procuring digitally signed copies of judgments and orders.
3. E-filing documents and facilitating virtual appearances.
4. Accessing free legal aid services provided by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

By investing heavily in these human-tech interfaces, the judiciary ensures that the technological revolution remains inclusive, fulfilling the constitutional mandate of equality for the unlettered and economically disadvantaged.

## Optimizing Pendency and Interoperable Justice Systems

India’s judicial system has long been burdened by a staggering backlog of cases, which recently surpassed the 50 million mark across all courts. CJI Kant pointed to technology as the primary weapon to combat this pendency. Predictive algorithms and advanced case management systems are now being utilized to group similar matters, allowing judges to dispose of hundreds of identical cases through a single consolidated ruling.

Moreover, the deep integration of the **Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)** has revolutionized the speed at which justice is administered. The ICJS seamlessly connects the five pillars of the system: the police (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems), e-Forensics, e-Courts, e-Prosecution, and e-Prisons.

For undertrials, this interoperability is life-changing. *”In the past, an undertrial granted bail might languish in prison for weeks while physical release orders traveled by post from the court to the jail authorities,”* states Manish Verma, a leading cybersecurity and legal tech consultant. *”Today, secure digital transmission through the FASTER (Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records) system ensures that bail orders are communicated instantaneously, safeguarding the personal liberty of the accused as mandated by Article 21.”*

## Safeguarding Data Privacy and System Security

As the judiciary transitions into a data-centric entity, the protection of sensitive legal information has become paramount. CJI Surya Kant’s remarks underscored the judiciary’s commitment to robust cybersecurity protocols. A digitally empowered court system must balance the ‘open court’ principle—transparency in proceedings—with the fundamental right to privacy.

The implementation of data anonymization techniques in sensitive cases (such as those involving minors or victims of sexual assault) demonstrates this balance. Additionally, the Supreme Court has invested in proprietary, secure sovereign clouds to host court data, minimizing reliance on third-party commercial servers and insulating the judicial grid from sophisticated cyber-attacks.

## Conclusion: The Road Ahead for the Indian Judiciary

Chief Justice Surya Kant’s declaration that technology is a constitutional instrument marks a defining moment in India’s legal history. It signals a permanent departure from archaic, paper-heavy traditions, steering the world’s largest democracy toward a future where justice is agile, transparent, and universally accessible.

The key takeaways from the CJI’s vision for 2026 and beyond are clear: technology must serve as the bridge over socio-economic divides, artificial intelligence must be harnessed to break linguistic barriers, and digital infrastructure must be continuously fortified against cyber threats.

As the e-Courts Phase III project reaches its zenith, the Indian judiciary is poised to become a global blueprint for legal modernization. By embedding technological advancements deep within the constitutional framework of equality and liberty, the Supreme Court is ensuring that the majestic doors of justice remain open to all, at all times, with just the click of a button.