Kerala High Court Frames AI Use Policy in Judiciary
The Kerala High Court recently issued a pioneering policy titled ‘Policy Regarding the Use of AI Tools in District Judiciary’. This is the first instance of any Indian High Court framing guidelines for artificial intelligence (AI) use in judicial work. The policy aims to promote responsible and limited use of AI, primarily restricting it to administrative tasks. This move comes amid growing national interest in employing AI to reduce case backlogs and improve judicial efficiency.
Key Principles of the AI Policy
The policy is founded on four core principles – transparency, fairness, accountability, and confidentiality. These principles guide the ethical and secure use of AI tools. The guidelines apply to all district judiciary members, including judges, clerks, interns, and court staff. They cover AI use on both personal and government devices to ensure uniform compliance.
Scope and Limitations on AI Usage
AI tools are categorised into general and approved tools. Only AI tools sanctioned by the Kerala High Court or the Supreme Court may be used for court-related activities. The policy strictly prohibits AI use for drafting legal judgements, orders, or findings. Translating documents via AI requires verification by a judge or qualified translator. AI-assisted research such as case citation lookup must be verified by an appointed person to prevent errors.
Permitted AI Applications
AI is allowed for administrative tasks like scheduling cases and court management. However, these tasks must be supervised and documented. Any errors discovered in AI tools must be reported promptly to the Principal District Court and forwarded to the High Court’s IT department. This ensures continuous monitoring and improvement of AI tool performance.
Training and Compliance
Judicial officers and staff will undergo training to understand both the technical and ethical aspects of AI use. The policy emphasises strict disciplinary action for violations. This is intended to maintain judicial integrity and prevent over-dependence on AI, which could undermine human judgement.
Context and Wider Implications
The policy follows a 2025 directive from the Government of India encouraging AI use to address judicial delays. However, concerns about AI reliability persist. For example, the Karnataka High Court brought into light risks of AI hallucinations — errors in AI-generated content. Judicial authorities have cautioned that excessive AI reliance may harm the profession’s intellectual rigour. Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court referred to ChatGPT for comparative legal research but clarified that AI inputs are not binding on courts.
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