The Centre has submitted its comments on the Supreme Court of India’s Draft Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence in Courts, 2026, an important initiative aimed at establishing a governance framework for the responsible use of artificial intelligence within the justice system. As AI technologies increasingly find application in judicial processes, the Draft Regulations represent a timely effort to ensure that innovation in the courts is guided by principles of human oversight, transparency, accountability, data protection, and judicial independence.

The Centre’s submission examines the proposed framework and offers recommendations on how it can be strengthened to ensure effective and responsible implementation. The comments focus on six key areas: the legal basis of the regulatory framework, meaningful human oversight over AI-assisted processes, judicial data governance, public transparency and accountability mechanisms, the protection of core procedural and constitutional safeguards, and the sequencing of implementation alongside India’s emerging data protection architecture. These recommendations seek to address both the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating AI technologies into the administration of justice.

The submission emphasises that the objective is not to impede the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence in courts, but to support the development of a governance framework that is constitutionally sound, operationally coherent, accountable, and enforceable. By engaging with these emerging regulatory questions, the Centre continues to contribute to national discussions on AI governance and the future of technology-enabled justice systems, while promoting the responsible and rights-respecting use of AI within judicial institutions.