Delhi High Court's Acting Chief Justice Manmohan has announced that the Supreme Court of India's e-committee is working on the implementation of an Artificial Intelligence tool called AI Saransh, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), which will assist in summarizing pleadings.

The judge stated that AI tools can be utilized to create a summary of the parties' pleadings, emphasizing the key contentious issues between them.

ACJ Manmohan spoke at the IBA International Conference in Mexico City 2024, organized by the International Bar Association, on the topic “India: The Moon Landing Only the Beginning?” He noted that Indian courts and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings have significantly adopted digital case management systems, allowing all documents to be submitted through a single platform, which facilitates easier communication.

He highlighted the use of AI-enabled transcription tools such as TERES and AI SUVAS, which facilitate multilingual transcription and translation of judgments into vernacular languages in the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court.

“The prevailing view is that Artificial Intelligence ought to be harnessed to improve efficiency in ADR and justice delivery processes, offering deeper insights, and achieving a level of precision that was previously unattainable. Large language models (LLMs) are highly effective in analyzing, comparing, and summarizing documents. They can streamline the review process by quickly processing large volumes of text,” ACJ said.

Furthermore, the judge emphasized that in India, there is no unfair favoritism towards state entities or bias against foreign entities, asserting that the country upholds the Rule of Law. He stressed that a strong legal and judicial framework will continue to be a cornerstone of India’s investment appeal and commercial success.

“It gladdens my heart that India stands out as a country, where the Rule of Law prevails. There is no unfair favoritism towards State entities or prejudice against foreign entities. Our courts have generally risen above all this. For investors, this translates into greater confidence in the Indian market. For businesses, it means operating in a system where legal disputes can be resolved more swiftly and fairly,” the judge said.

Noting that India had long lacked a statutory mediation framework, ACJ Manmohan stated that the Mediation Act, 2023, passed in August 2023, has filled this gap and is expected to significantly accelerate the pace of mediation and conciliation.

“Thus, the Indian legislature is actively fostering a culture of alternative dispute resolution in India for resolving disputes in a time bound manner, awarding greater party autonomy, ensuring minimal court interference and protecting confidentiality of the dispute,” he said.

The judge further noted that the 2015 Amendment to the Arbitration Act promotes international commercial arbitration by enhancing party autonomy and ensuring minimal judicial interference.

“The subsequent amendments of 2019 and 2021 show the continuing legislative intent to iron out the creases and make India an arbitration-friendly regime. One also cannot miss the launch of the Arbitration Bar of India for promoting excellence, professionalism, and ethics in arbitration and expanding the pool of competent arbitrators,” he said.

“By establishing clear guidelines on how personal and sensitive data can be handled, the Act helps businesses safeguard consumer information and comply with legal standards. This reduces the risk of data breaches and associated costs and also enhances consumer confidence, encouraging more engagement with digital platforms. Ultimately, the Data Protection Act supports a more stable and thriving digital economy by ensuring that data privacy is prioritized and maintained,” he said.