Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court on Saturday came out with a detailed policy governing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in judicial and court administration, setting strict limits on how AI may be used across the high court registry and the district judiciary.The policy adopts a cautious approach, stressing that technology may assist administration and legal research but must never intrude into judicial decision-making. It says, “AI shall not be used — directly or indirectly — for any aspect of judicial decision, adjudication, reasoning, application of law, interpretation of facts, weighing of arguments, determination of rights/liabilities, sentencing, bail, interim orders, or final judgment.“The HC framed the policy with various objectives. One of them is to “enable judicial officers and court staff to leverage AI tools to improve productivity, reduce administrative burden, and enhance access to justice, while preserving judicial independence and the sanctity of judicial decision-making”. The policy also aims at protecting the confidentiality of case-related information, litigant data, and court records in conformity with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.The policy says the district judiciary, as the most accessible and busiest tier of the justice system, faces both opportunity and risk from AI tools. It notes that younger judicial officers are increasingly familiar with digital systems, but warns that unchecked use of AI could lead to over-reliance, biased outcomes and erosion of public trust in human-centred adjudication. The court underlined that justice must remain rooted in “human conscience” and constitutional values.The HC made clear that AI cannot be used for judicial reasoning, substantive order drafting, judgment preparation, bail or sentencing considerations, or any adjudicatory process. Judges remain fully responsible for every order and judgment issued in their name. Any AI-generated output must be reviewed and verified by a qualified human officer before it is acted upon or communicated.The policy permits limited uses of AI in administrative and productivity tasks, legal research support, language assistance and case management.The HC said that any violations of the policy may invite disciplinary action against judges and court staff.
