Locations
AI For Justice: Ethical, Fair and Robust Adoption in India's Courts
AI For Justice: Ethical, Fair and Robust Adoption in India's Courts
February 5, 2026
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in the Indian legal sector, including within courts, often via experimental or “shadow” forms of use. While properly governed AI systems can improve access to justice, support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and strengthen institutional performance, their adoption must be underpinned by clear governance frameworks, transparency, and safeguards rooted in rights-based principles.
The UNDP report, “AI for Justice: Ethical, Fair and Robust Adoption in India's Courts,” developed in partnership with DAKSH and Digital Futures Lab, offers a comprehensive framework for the responsible adoption of AI in Indian courts.
Drawing from stakeholder interviews with judges, court staff, legal-tech founders, and academics, the report provides an overview of digitisation and the current use of AI in Indian courts, analyses AI use cases, identifies risks and potential violation of rights, including privacy, fair trial, and equality. It proposes a four-part assessment process for courts to evaluate their institutional readiness, identify rights-based risks, request a technical evaluation of the proposed AI tool, and establish monitoring mechanisms for assessing the performance and impact of AI tools. These assessments are anchored in constitutional principles and global best practices.
