Tech is now constitutional instrument strengthening equality before law, access to justice: CJI Kant| India News
# Tech Drives Equality Before Law: CJI Kant
**By Special Legal Correspondent, National Desk**
**April 11, 2026**
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant declared on Saturday that technology has evolved from a mere administrative convenience into a “constitutional instrument” essential for strengthening equality before the law. Speaking at a high-level legal symposium in New Delhi on April 11, 2026, the CJI emphasized that digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and virtual courtrooms are fundamentally transforming how ordinary citizens access justice. By dismantling geographic, linguistic, and economic barriers, the judiciary’s digital infrastructure is now actively upholding Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 39A (Equal Justice and Free Legal Aid) of the Indian Constitution, ensuring that the legal system serves the marginalized as effectively as the privileged. [Source: Hindustan Times | Additional: Supreme Court Registry Records].
## Redefining Constitutional Instruments in the Digital Age
For decades, the physical architecture of the courts, the procedural codes, and the constitutional writs were the primary instruments through which justice was dispensed. However, CJI Kant’s latest remarks signal a paradigm shift in Indian jurisprudence. By legally framing technology as a “constitutional instrument,” the Chief Justice is elevating digital infrastructure to the status of a fundamental rights enabler.
“Technology is no longer a luxury or an alternative; it is the very bedrock upon which the modern promise of justice rests,” CJI Kant noted during his address. He argued that when a daily wage worker in a remote village in Odisha can attend a Supreme Court hearing via a smartphone, technology ceases to be software and becomes a vehicle for constitutional equity.
This philosophical shift is crucial. It mandates the State to maintain, upgrade, and democratize digital infrastructure not merely as an IT policy, but as a binding duty to uphold the fundamental rights of its citizens. Without robust technological frameworks, the constitutional guarantee of “equality before the law” remains a theoretical promise for those unable to afford the prohibitive costs of traveling to urban judicial centers. [Source: Hindustan Times | Additional: Center for Constitutional Law].
## The E-Courts Mission: From Digitization to Democratization
The foundation of this digital revolution is the ongoing e-Courts Project, currently deep into its ambitious Phase III rollout. Backed by a substantial budgetary allocation, Phase III has transitioned the Indian judiciary from basic computerization to the deployment of smart, interconnected, and paperless courts.
**Key Achievements of e-Courts Phase III (As of Early 2026):**
* **Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS):** Seamless real-time data sharing between police stations, forensic labs, prisons, and courts, drastically reducing delays in bail and trial proceedings.
* **Paperless Filing (e-Filing 3.0):** Over 85% of commercial and civil filings in High Courts are now entirely digital, reducing ecological footprints and administrative bottlenecks.
* **Smart Courtrooms:** Integration of evidence presentation systems and secure cloud-based repositories accessible to both prosecution and defense simultaneously.
These advancements directly correlate with CJI Kant’s assertion regarding access to justice. By automating routine administrative tasks, judges can dedicate more time to substantive legal adjudication, thereby slowly chipping away at the systemic backlog of over 50 million pending cases across the country.
## Bridging the Linguistic Divide Through Artificial Intelligence
One of the most pervasive barriers to justice in India has historically been language. With the Supreme Court and High Courts conducting proceedings and delivering judgments predominantly in English, a vast majority of litigants are left unable to comprehend the very rulings that dictate their lives, properties, and liberties.
CJI Kant highlighted the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in dismantling this linguistic hegemony. The Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUVAS), an AI-driven machine learning tool trained specifically on legal terminology, has reached unprecedented levels of accuracy by 2026.
Today, landmark judgments are instantly translated and made available in multiple constitutionally recognized regional languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Bengali.
“Justice must not only be done, but it must also be understood by the person seeking it,” CJI Kant remarked. By empowering litigants to read court orders in their mother tongues, technology acts as an equalizer, reducing the asymmetric reliance on legal intermediaries and empowering citizens to take informed legal actions. [Source: Hindustan Times | Additional: Legal Tech Policy Institute].
## Virtual Hearings: A Permanent Lifeline for the Marginalized
What began as an emergency measure during the global pandemic has now been institutionalized as a permanent feature of the Indian justice system. CJI Kant strongly defended the continuation and expansion of virtual hearings, calling them a “lifeline for the marginalized.”
Before the normalization of hybrid and virtual courts, the geography of justice was fundamentally unequal. A petitioner from Northeast India or deep rural hinterlands had to spend thousands of rupees on travel, accommodation, and local counsel to fight a case in New Delhi. This economic drain effectively priced the poor out of the Supreme Court.
Virtual courts have flattened this landscape. Today, citizens can depose from local *e-Sewa Kendras* (digital service centers established at district court complexes), ensuring that an individual’s financial status does not dictate their ability to be heard by the highest courts in the land. Furthermore, this system has been highly beneficial for vulnerable groups, including victims of sensitive crimes, who can now testify in a secure, non-intimidating digital environment rather than facing their abusers in a physical courtroom.
## Expert Perspectives on the Digital Justice Era
Legal experts and civil rights advocates have lauded the Chief Justice’s progressive stance. Classifying technology as a constitutional instrument places a positive obligation on the government to ensure digital equity.
Dr. Meera Vasudevan, a senior researcher at the National Law University, Delhi, views this as a landmark jurisprudential moment. “When the Chief Justice of India elevates technology to a constitutional necessity, it means internet access, digital literacy, and reliable hardware are no longer just consumer goods—they are prerequisites for human rights. It provides a robust legal foundation for civil society to demand better digital infrastructure in rural India,” she explains.
Similarly, Senior Advocate Rohan Chatterjee notes the practical impact on the Bar: “We are seeing a democratization of legal practice. Young lawyers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are successfully arguing before the Supreme Court without needing to relocate to the capital. This diversity in representation directly translates to a more equitable justice system.” [Source: Independent Legal Tech Interviews].
## Safeguarding Against the Digital Divide
Despite the optimistic outlook, CJI Kant was careful not to overlook the inherent risks of rapid digitization. Acknowledging the “digital divide” that still plagues parts of India, he warned that technology must be implemented with deep empathy to prevent it from becoming a new tool of exclusion.
If a citizen lacks a smartphone, internet connectivity, or the digital literacy required to navigate e-filing portals, the technological advancements of the judiciary mean nothing to them. To counter this, the judiciary is heavily expanding the network of *e-Sewa Kendras* across all sub-divisional and district courts. These centers are staffed with paralegals whose sole job is to assist technologically disenfranchised citizens in accessing digital court services, obtaining case statuses, and attending virtual hearings.
Furthermore, CJI Kant emphasized the need for stringent data privacy measures. As the judiciary digitizes sensitive personal data, establishing robust, tamper-proof cybersecurity frameworks is crucial to maintaining public trust in digital constitutional instruments.
## Conclusion: A Forward-Looking Judiciary
The April 2026 address by Chief Justice Surya Kant marks a definitive moment in the history of the Indian judiciary. By acknowledging technology as a “constitutional instrument strengthening equality before the law,” the Supreme Court has fundamentally redefined the mechanics of justice for the 21st century.
The key takeaway from the CJI’s vision is that technology is no longer viewed with suspicion or seen merely as a backend administrative utility. Instead, it is actively deployed to uphold the foundational promises of the Indian Republic: justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.
As India continues to solidify its position as a global leader in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), its judiciary is setting a compelling international precedent. By intertwining constitutional rights with technological advancement, the Indian courts are ensuring that the blindfold of justice remains impartial to geography, language, and wealth, looking only toward the equitable rule of law.
