Chief Justice Emphasizes Court Infrastructure and Technology Enhancements

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud stresses the need to enhance court infrastructure to tackle case backlog. He highlights the adoption of modern technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, and initiatives like Lok Adalats to expedite case resolutions. The CJI also underscores the importance of translating court verdicts into regional languages.

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday emphasized strengthening court infrastructure to address case backlog while also noting the adoption of different mediums like Lok Adalats to reduce court cases.

He mentioned the use of modern technology, such as Artificial Intelligence, to translate court verdicts into regional languages for the convenience of the public.

Speaking at the 37th convocation of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), the CJI said that the number of cases has increased because people have faith in the judicial system, similar to hospitals.

''If you see in a hospital, the number of patients goes up, and similarly in courts, the number of cases rises. People have faith in hospitals, and therefore the number of patients increases. People have faith and trust in courts, which is why the number of cases increases,'' he said. ''To address this, we need to bolster infrastructure. Hospital infrastructure needs to be augmented, and similarly, court infrastructure needs enhancement,'' he added.

The CJI cited a recent special Lok Adalat where around 1,000 cases were decided in five days, highlighting the efficiency of different resolution mediums.

During the summer vacation, 21 Supreme Court benches heard around 4,000 cases, disposing of 1,170, he noted. He stressed the necessity of reducing the number of cases through various channels.

The CJI also pointed out the predominance of English in court language and revealed initiatives to translate court verdicts into regional languages using Artificial Intelligence.

He added that from 1950 to 2024, around 37,000 Supreme Court verdicts exist, with 22,000 translated into Punjabi and more than 36,000 into Hindi. All judgments are being translated into multiple languages.

Live streaming of Supreme Court hearings is another technological initiative he cited.

Addressing the issue of judge shortages, CJI Chandrachud said that states like the Allahabad High Court, which has a judge strength of 160, face infrastructure challenges. He noted no vacancy in the Supreme Court, with 34 judges serving.

The CJI emphasized filling vacancies in the district judiciary and highlighted the role of high courts and state governments in addressing these shortages.

(With inputs from agencies.)