India has reiterated that its ongoing justice reforms are focused on creating a data-driven and citizen-centred legal system that improves access to courts and public services.
Participating in the 10th OECD Global Roundtable on Equal Access to Justice in Madrid, Spain, Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said India is prioritising the use of technology and community-based services to make justice delivery accessible to every citizen.
The OECD forum brought together ministers of justice, judicial leaders, policymakers and experts to discuss how justice systems can stay responsive in an era of rapid digital transformation and rising expectations around efficiency and transparency.
Meghwal said India’s approach is rooted in the constitutional vision of equal access to justice, especially for people who face social or economic barriers. He said reforms have been structured to ensure that courts become not only transparent but more empathetic and responsive to public needs.
A major initiative highlighted at the roundtable was the e-Courts Mission Mode Project, currently in its third phase. The programme aims to create paperless and integrated courts by using technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing. More than 560 crore pages of court records are being digitised and over 3.86 crore virtual hearings have taken place to reduce delays and travel requirements for litigants.
AI-assisted tools in the judiciary
The minister said the use of technology during the pandemic demonstrated that virtual hearings, live streaming, cloud-based hosting of case records and digital filing can improve access and reduce costs. During COVID-19 alone, courts across the country held nearly 43 million virtual hearings.
India has also deployed AI-based tools such as SUVAS for translating judgments into regional languages and SUPACE for intelligent case research. Courts and law enforcement agencies are being digitally linked under the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System to enable quicker evidence-supported decisions.
On citizen-facing services, the minister pointed to the Tele-Law initiative under the DISHA programme. More than 1.1 crore people have received free legal advice in 22 Indian languages through teleconsultations with trained lawyers and para-legal volunteers. Programmes such as Nyaya Setu and Vidhi Baithaks aim to reach citizens in areas with limited legal awareness.
Meghwal said India is expanding digital justice through community-level outreach and technology-assisted services rather than depending solely on court digitalisation. He emphasised that India’s introduction of legal services through mobile platforms and local assistance centres reflects the principle that justice must be reachable to everyone, including those without internet access or legal knowledge.
He added that while India sees a role for artificial intelligence in the judicial process, the use of AI remains human-supervised and subject to ethical and privacy standards. Judicial discretion will continue to stay with judges.
The minister also signalled India’s willingness to collaborate with OECD members on frameworks for ethical use of AI in justice systems, data interoperability and digital inclusion.
