Lok Sabha Question No. 147 (STARRED), answered on 2022-12-16
Subject: Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Judicial System
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Sunil Kumar Singh, Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE (DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE)

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. *147 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 16 th  DECEMBER, 2022

## Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Judicial System

## *147. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH: SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of operational e-courts in the State of Jharkhand, districtwise;
- (b) whether the Government has developed Artificial  Intelligence (AI) tools  like  Supreme  Court  VidhikAnuvaad  Software  (SUVAS)  and Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court Efficiency (SUPACE) and proposes to deploy it in the judicial system and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  collaborated/proposes  to  collaborate with  certain  private  entities  for  developing  more  AI  tools  for  the Indian judicial system, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  use  AI  and  block  chain technology  in  implementation  of  e-Courts-Phase-III  and  if  so,  the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Artificial Intelligence Committee set up by the Supreme Court is exploring domains  other than translation of judicial documents,  legal  research  assistance  and  process  automation  for identifying  application  of  AI  technology  and  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE

## (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *147 FOR 16 TH  DECEMBER, 2022 REGARDING USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS IN JUDICIAL SYSTEM

(a):  Total  515  number  of  Courts  are  operational  in  Jharkhand  under  eCourts Project. District-wise list of the Courts is enclosed at Annexure - I:

(b)  to  (d):  As  part  of  the  National  eGovernance  Plan,  the  eCourts  project  is under implementation since 2007 for ICT development of the Indian Judiciary based on the 'National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information  and  Communication  Technology  in  the  Indian  Judiciary'.  The project  is  being  implemented  under  the  joint  partnership  of  Department  of Justice,  Government  of  India  and  eCommittee,  Supreme  Court  of  India,  in  a decentralized manner through the respective High Courts. The eCommittee of Supreme Court of India, headed by a Supreme Court Judge, is responsible for the  policy  planning,  strategic  direction  and  guidance  for  implementation  of eCourts project in different courts in the country. Department of Justice releases funds to High Courts on the recommendation of eCommittee of Supreme Court of India. To explore the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in judicial domain, the  Supreme  Court  of  India  has  constituted  Artificial  Intelligence  Committee which  has  mainly  identified  application  of  AI  technology  in  translation  of judicial documents,assistance in legal research and process automation.

Under  the  supervision  of  the  AI  Committee,  an  Artificial  Intelligence Tool, SUVAS  (Supreme  Court  VidhikAnuvaad  Software)  for  translating Judicial domain English documents in vernacular languages and vice versa has been developed. AI based Legal Research Assistance Tool, SUPACE (Supreme Court  Portal  for  Assistance  in  Court  Efficiency)  has  been  developed  by Artificial Intelligence Committee for such purpose.

A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been approved by the eCommittee of Supreme  Court  of  India for eCourts Project Phase III that includes components incorporating AI and Blockchain technology that would be

developed  and  procured  from  the  best  available  technology  in  the  market following the due process of procurement as stipulated by the government.

(e):  Apart  from  use  of  AI  language  technology  in  translation  of  judicial documents and use of AI in Legal Research Assistance on judicial side, the AI Committee of Supreme Court, has identified the following two more areas for implementation of the AI technology.

- i. Use  of  AI  in  Process  Automation  on  the  administrative  side-  NJDG data reveals that Indian Judiciary has pendency of more than 4.86 crore cases  at  High  Courts  and  District  Courts.  Keeping  a  track  of  these cases, and in order to have special focus on old cases, cases pertaining to senior citizen, women and marginalized section is a huge challenge. Use  of  AI  can  help  achieve  efficient  case  tracking  and  Case  Flow Management and facilitate policy decisions.
- ii. Exploring  potential  use  of  AI  in  other  judicial  avenues-  The  AI Committee  of  Supreme  Court  found  that  in  addition  to  the  above avenues/areas,  there  is  need  to  explore  the  benefits  which  machine learning  and  artificial  intelligence  can  bring  in  justice  dispensation considering the geography, topography and complexities arising out of customary laws, local special laws, and the sheer volume of cases.

******

## Annexure-I

Statement referred to in reply of Lok Sabha Question No.*147 for 16/12/2022 regardingeCourt in  Jharkhand.  The  district  wise  Courts  operational  under  e-Courts  project  in  the  state  of Jharkhand are as under:

| S.No   | Name of the District/ Sub-Divisional Court of Jharkhand   |   Number of Court Rooms Computerized under eCourts Project |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1      | Bokaro                                                    |                                                         29 |
| 2      | Sub-Divisional Court of Bermo at Tenughat (Bokaro)        |                                                         15 |
| 3      | Chaibasa                                                  |                                                         12 |
| 4      | Chatra                                                    |                                                         22 |
| 5      | Deoghar                                                   |                                                         20 |
| 6      | Sub-Divisional Court of Madhupur (Deoghar)                |                                                          4 |
| 7      | Dhanbad                                                   |                                                         51 |
| 8      | Dumka                                                     |                                                         11 |
| 9      | Garhwa                                                    |                                                         16 |
| 10     | Giridih                                                   |                                                         22 |
| 11     | Godda                                                     |                                                         14 |
| 12     | Gumla                                                     |                                                         11 |
| 13     | Hazaribag                                                 |                                                         30 |
| 14     | Jamshedpur                                                |                                                         40 |
| 15     | Sub-Divisional Court Ghatshila (Jamshedpur)               |                                                         20 |
| 16     | Jamtara                                                   |                                                         13 |
| 17     | Khunti                                                    |                                                         12 |
| 18     | Koderma                                                   |                                                         13 |
| 19     | Latehar                                                   |                                                         18 |
| 20     | Lohardaga                                                 |                                                         11 |
| 21     | Pakur                                                     |                                                         12 |
| 22     | Palamau at daltonganj                                     |                                                         25 |
| 23     | Ramgarh                                                   |                                                         22 |
| 24     | Ranchi                                                    |                                                         39 |
| 25     | Sahibganj                                                 |                                                         14 |
| 26     | Seraikella-Kharsawan                                      |                                                         11 |
| 27     | Simdega                                                   |                                                          8 |
|        | Total                                                     |                                                        515 |