DECODING AI JUDGE: FUTURE OF JUDICIAL DECISION MAKING IN INDIA

DECODING AI JUDGE: FUTURE OF JUDICIAL DECISION MAKING IN INDIA, Nithya Prakash D, PRESIDENCY UNIVERSITY

INTRODUCTION

1In the world run by algorithm and automation, even the purity of the court room is no longer immune for digital disruption. The AI-Interested Judge is capable of reviewing the idea of the judge, analysing law and giving logical decisions-now not science fiction. As the Indian

judiciary struggles with a backlog over 50 million cases, the possibility of introducing automatic judicial aid systems is now being considered seriously. Globally, countries like Estonia, China and UK have already started deploying AI in judicial decisions. So where is India standing? Can we rely on a machine to give justice? Will such decisions respect fundamental rights and constitutional values? Or is there a risk of replacing

human conscience with cold calculations? The article investigates the emerging discourse, but what it means for the AI judges, especially in the Indian context, and the future of law, justice and democracy.,

WHAT ARE AI JUDGES?

AI judges refer to automated systems that use machine learning, natural language processing and data analytics, which evaluate legal arguments, assessing evidence and in some cases, to give decisions. 2These systems have been made on the large dataset of previous decisions, methods, procedural rules and case laws to identify legal patterns and predict the results. While complete autonomy is still far away, some courts abroad use AI for recommendations, bail decisions and case tries. In the USA, equipment such as compass assesses the risk of

restructuring. In China, the AI-related rules are already part of the smart court initiative. In Estonia, a pilot project tested AI to handle small claims under € 7,000 to AI.

.INDIA’S DIGITAL PUSH: E-COURTS AND THE AI LEAP

India has made remarkable progress with its e-tax project, which is now in Phase III, which aims to digitize case files, virtual hearing and online controversy resolution (ODR). Tools such as Sup ace (aid in equipment like Supreme Court portal) have already been deployed to assist judges by summarising facts and filtering relevant examples. 3NITI Aayog has proposed the development of AI-based legal research equipment and future models to assist decision making, especially in civil litigation. However, suppose prevents decision making less-it only helps human judges. Now the debate is whether AI should move or do one step forward and replace human judges in some limited scenarios such as traffic fines, small disputes, or bail hearing. But even with efficiency gains, justice is not only about speed - it is about fairness, sympathy and interpretation.

TRUST ISSUES: CAN AI JUDGE HUMAN RIGHTS?

4There are serious concerns when algorithms begin to explain constitutional rights. Can a machine really understand concepts such as natural justice, fairness, equity, or human dignity - values that are naturally developed and deeply relevant? No matter how sophisticated the AI

system is, there is a lack of emotional intelligence and moral decisions required to weigh the moral dimensions of a case. In addition, AI learns from historical data, and if that data involves systemic bias - whether against low castes, women, or marginalized communities - it will not

only reflect but strengthen them. For example, an AI trained on decades bail orders can only harm some groups only because earlier ruling was prejudicated, allowing injustice through the code to be institutional. This phenomenon, known as algorithm bias, is not imaginary; This is

a clear and current danger. Additionally, transparency becomes a major issue. Can an accused person challenge the decision provided by a black-box algorithm, which is not accessible even? If an AI system wrongly blames someone - then programmer, state, or no one?

.GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT: ESTONIA, CHINA AND BEYOND LESSONS

India can see global examples to understand both the ability and disadvantage to integrate AI in judicial systems. Estonia has pioneered a pilot program, where AI resolves small-values disputes, but significantly, all decisions remain subjected to human appeal, ensuring balance

between autonomy and inspection. In contrast, China's ambitious "smart court system" enables judges to use AI-operated glasses to scan documents, online courts have distributed the rule in less than 10 minutes-although this model has raised serious concerns about state monitoring and lack of transparency. The UK has adopted a more vigilant path, limiting the use of AI to forecasting analytics that assist judges without replacing them. These diverse models suggest that while AI can increase judicial speed and efficiency, can completely replace human decision making-especially in criminal or constitutional matters-excessively and potentially dangerous.5

AI IN COURT: BENEFIT VS. DANGER

While the use of AI in courts provides many promising benefits-as the decisions in small cases to reduce backlogs, ensure stability by reducing human error, and to improve cost-Défense by automating procedural functions-also offers significant risks. These include lack of human

sympathy in evaluating algorithm bias, intentions and suffering from flawed or discriminatory training data. Errors occur when there are errors when there is a disturbed accountability difference - who is responsible for a wrong decision: Koder or court? Therefore, the forward

passage should not include a complete handover of decision making for machines, but a balanced, phased approach that integrates AI as an accessory tool within the judicial system. India should limit the role of AI for administrative functions and research aid by protecting

moral standards through prejudice-e-gaming protocols. All AI-Assisted results should be subject to judicial reviews, and legal professionals should be trained to explain and question the AI-operated processes. The final goal is not to replace judges, but to empower them - to

ensure that AI acts as an assistant, not as an assistant.

CONCLUSION

The integration of AI in India's judicial system is no longer a theoretical debate it is a matter of immediate policy and legal design. While the benefits of AI are immense in improving access to justice, we should walk carefully. Justice is not a product that can be produced extensively

by code; It is a moral, moral and depth human work. India should oppose the temptation to hand over justice to machines and instead designed the human-AI hybrid system ready for a future that enhances the values of our Constitution. The essence of judicial knowledge lies in

sympathy, discretion and human experience no algorithm can actually repeat. After all, the soul of justice cannot be downloaded it should be preserved.

References 

1 ¹ "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of the Judiciary: A Comparative Analysis," The Law Library of

Congress, Global Legal Research Directorate, June 2022. Available at: https://loc.gov/law/help/artificial-

intelligence/

2 ² Suren, Harry. “Machine Learning and Law.” Washington Law Review, vol. 89, no. 1, 2014, pp. 87–115. See

also: Council of Europe, CEPEJ – European Ethical Charter on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Judicial Systems (2018)

3 NITI Aayog, “Responsible AI for All: Discussion Paper,” February 2021, Government of India. Available at:

https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-02/Responsible-AI-22022021.pdf

4 Eubanks, Virginia. “Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor.” St.

Martin’s Press, 2018. See also: Selbst, Andrew D., and Solon Barocas. “The Intuitive Appeal of Explainable

Machines,” 87 Fordham L. Rev. 1085 (2018)

5 Rajagopal, Krishnadas. “AI Cannot Replace Human Judges, Say Experts.” The Hindu, May 15, 2023. Also

see: European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), “European Ethical Charter on the Use of

Artificial Intelligence in Judicial Systems,” Council of Europe, 2018. Available at: https://rm.coe.int/ethical-

charter-en-for-publication-4-december-2018/16808f699c