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AI: A Promising Solution to India’s Judicial Backlog Crisis
Context:
India’s judiciary faces a backlog of over 50 million cases, including 80,000 in the Supreme Court, and has the lowest judge-to-population ratio. Artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as a potential solution to this urgent problem.
More on News:
- The Supreme Court utilises AI for translating judicial documents, legal research, and process automation.
- Since February 2023, AI has also been employed to transcribe oral arguments, especially in cases before the Constitution bench.
Key Highlights:
- Collaborative projects like OpenNyAI, led by the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), have created open-source AI tools for the judiciary.
- Startups are employing advanced machine learning models to streamline legal data and address the case backlog.
- Jhana AI, a legal tech startup, is creating an AI-powered assistant that acts like a paralegal.
- It will review documents, flag risks, and assist in research by analysing extensive databases of judgements and legal documents, providing accurate research material with citations for lawyers.
- Lexlegis.ai, a legal tech startup, is developing an advanced language model to drastically reduce legal research time from weeks to seconds, aiming to address India’s backlog of over 44 million cases and 60,000 new filings daily.
- Lexlegis.ai started with a legal decision search engine in 1998 and contributed to creating the National Judicial Reference System in 2014.
AI’s Role and Potential Impact:
- AI has become a crucial tool for precision in legal work. “The biggest risk in legal research is missing a key precedent or judgement. With AI, you can review every judgement in the database and ensure nothing is overlooked.”
- AI enhances contract analysis and e-discovery by making these processes more efficient, reducing the resources and time needed.
- AI could help alleviate the backlog of pending court cases by streamlining administrative tasks such as case management and document retrieval.
Concerns and Risks:
- Biases: AI may introduce biases, particularly in law enforcement and the judiciary, which is a significant concern that needs to be addressed before widespread adoption.
- Phased Adoption: Experts advocate for a phased approach to AI adoption, emphasising careful consideration of its limitations and risks.
The Future of AI in the Legal Sector:
- While AI tools hold promise, the legal industry is adopting them cautiously due to concerns about data privacy, biases, and regulatory issues.
- Similar to past technological advancements like internet databases, AI is anticipated to drive efficiency and innovation while potentially altering traditional job roles.
- In India’s evolving and rapidly professionalising legal sector, AI integration could streamline processes and support the emergence of new firms and practices, leading to a broader job market with new roles and opportunities.