Context: SUPACE- Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency- was inaugurated recently by former CJI SA Bobde.
The SUPACE follows the launch of the Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUVAS), an Machine Learning(ML) tool for translating Supreme Court judgments into vernacular languages.
What is SUPACE?
It is an Artificial Intelligence(AI) based tool that collects relevant facts and laws and makes them available to a judge.
It will produce results customized to the need of the case and the way the judge thinks.
It is not designed to take decisions, but only to process facts and to make them available to judges looking for an input for a decision.
Initially, it will be used on an experimental basis by the judges of Bombay and Delhi High Courts who deal with criminal matters.
Other Potential Applications of AI in Judiciary
Task-specific, narrowly tailored algorithms, trained through machine learning, can be deployed to automate administrative functions like scheduling hearings and creating causelists etc.
Similarly, other procedural tasks which can benefit from the use of AI include interventions at the level of smart e-filing, intelligent filtering/prioritisation of cases or notifications and tracking of cases.
AI tools can aid in augmenting of decision-making processes where computational tools can be used to expedite justice delivery such as those for traffic challans and motor vehicle compensation claims.
Benefits of integrating AI & ML in Justice delivery
Increases Speed: AI powered tools like SUPACE will not only help organise cases, it will also bring references into the judgment at a speed not seen so far.
Improves Efficiency: It can unclog processes that slow justice down and increase efficiency of courts. In many cases, they ease administrative aspects of justice delivery.
Lowers Pendency: Tools derived from AI could help expedite the case-flow management which in turn helps in lowering delays and pendency in courts
Strengthens Right of access to Justice: AI will present a more streamlined, cost effective and time bound means to the fundamental right of access to justice.
Precaution to be taken while using AI for Justice delivery
The ethical and responsible use of AI and ML for the advancement of efficiency enhancing can be increasingly embedded in legal and judicial processes.
AI powered tools help aid access to material, but should remain non-intrusive when it comes to decision making.
AI and ML should assist but do not replacehuman decision making.
The relevance of AI in justice delivery will be dependent on the availability of clear and well-labelled data sets. Thus humans have to be kept in loop to create robust necessary labelled data sets
Since AI powered tools is intended to do what the human mind can do, but much more efficiently and methodically, there is apprehension of job losses which authorities needs to take care of.
