In a major step that could change how administrative work is handled at the Supreme Court of India, Artificial Intelligence-based software will soon take over the process of listing cases and assigning them to benches, according to Bar and Bench. This means the system will work with little or no human involvement.
End of human control?
At present, the Chief Justice decides which cases go to which bench – a responsibility that often attracts public attention and scrutiny. The new move comes after an internal review pointed out two major problems in the court’s registry. First, some officials had stayed in the same posts for long periods, leading to a system where individuals held strong control over certain processes. Second, the court was relying on old technology, which allowed administrative mistakes to go unnoticed, including issues in how cases were assigned.
At the same time, the registry of the SC has seen a large number of staff transfers between departments. The aim is to break long-standing control by certain officials and improve efficiency in the system. Another round of transfers will likely happen before the end of the month.
How did the issue come to light?
The issue came to light during a hearing before a bench led by Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, according to Bar and Bench.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by Irfan Solanki. He had challenged the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, arguing that it conflicts with Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
During the hearing, the government of Uttar Pradesh told the court that a very similar case had already been dismissed earlier. That case, Md. Anas Chaudhary v. State of Uttar Pradesh, was decided on December 12, 2022 by a three-judge bench led by former Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices P. S. Narasimha and Dipankar Datta. The bench had dismissed the plea and asked the petitioner to approach the proper forum instead.
Despite that earlier ruling, a similar petition was later listed again before a new bench of the Supreme Court of India.
Chief Justice Kant expressed strong concern over this lapse. Senior Advocate Shoeb Alam then asked to withdraw the petition, but the CJI said the case would remain pending and would be taken to its logical end. He also announced that a detailed administrative inquiry would be conducted into how the matter was listed.