Recently. the Indian judiciary has taken a significant step towards digital transformation and enhancing access to justice by signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Supreme Court and IIT Madras.

A press release from the apex court's public relations office has revealed that the MoU was formalized subsequent to the visit of Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud, to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in July of this year.

The press release outlined that the Supreme Court and IIT Madras will be engaged in a collaborative effort to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge technologies. This collaboration will encompass various aspects, including transcription tools, summarization of page transcripts, translation tools, the development of a dedicated streaming platform for court trials, process automation, and the integration of large language models tailored for the legal domain.

"The MoU is aimed to facilitate the digital transformation of the Indian judiciary, aligning it with the vision for a more efficient and technologically advanced legal ecosystem to improve access to justice," the release said.

The statement highlighted that, under the guidance of CJI, DY Chandrachud, the Supreme Court is actively spearheading technological advancements to automate its processes, improve user-friendliness, and make the judicial system more citizen-centric. These efforts are aimed at bolstering access to justice for the people.

Further, the press release stated that this collaboration will place a strong emphasis on the utilization of AI tools for capacity building and training purposes, including the development of e-learning platforms and ICT skill development courses. This marks a substantial step towards integrating AI and technology to enhance the efficiency, accessibility, and capacity building within the legal domain.