The CJI said that such transcripts, which are generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI), are a valuable resource and source of perspective for lawyers, researchers and academics as well.
“I have myself used them while crafting judgments to better understand the nuances of argument. When future generations interpret our judgment these transcripts will show what shaped our mind to write these judgments. This transparency (not only) makes our institution more accountable, but it enhances the quality of our jurisprudence,” CJI Chandrachud said.
The CJI also said that in a country which is as linguistically diverse as India, language is a barrier for people to engage with the judiciary, particularly higher courts which use English.
“One of the prominent barriers for people to engage with judiciary is language. Our higher courts work mostly in English and in a linguistically diverse nation this poses a logistical challenge,” he said.
The CJI stressed that for democracy to truly flourish, all citizens must feel truly connected to the institutions of the nation, in which the judiciary must play a vital role. Hence, AI play an important role in this regard.
“With use of AI software Supreme court vidhik anuvad software, the Supreme Court is actively translating its judgment in regional languages and we are working to translate this in all scheduled languages,” he highlighted.
The CJI was speaking during the inaugural session of the National Conference on the Landscape of Technology in Courts in India, organised by the Chandigarh Judicial Academy.
In his speech, the CJI shared an anecdote about how he consulted Justice AP Sen, author of the infamous ADM Jabalpur judgment, about accepting judgeship, to drive home the point of lawyers’ arguments not needing to remain confined to courtrooms any longer.
“He invited me to his Nagpur residence. He told me there is a difference between a judge and a lawyer. A judge always leaves his footprint on the sand and those footprints are the written word which you have crafted. Lawyers however much brilliant in their arguments is lost to future generations. Please decide on the basis of this. But Justice Sen did not have benefit of modern technology. Today the transcripts we are producing will be an eternal resource to show the brilliant legal minds argued in the case.”
Source: Barandbench
