The Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, on Saturday emphasised that technology has emerged as a constitutional instrument for strengthening the Rule of Law, asserting that “technology is the medium, but judicial vision is the message.” Delivering the Keynote Address at the Inaugural Ceremony of the West Zone–I Regional Conference in Jaisalmer, themed “Advancing Rule of Law Through Technology: Challenges & Opportunities”, the Chief Justice underlined that the future of justice depends on how thoughtfully courts integrate technology with constitutional values.

Calling for a Unified Judicial Policy, Justice Surya Kant noted that while India’s judicial diversity is a strength, fragmentation in procedures, formats, and technological adoption has led to uneven experiences for litigants. Technology, he said, provides the opportunity to transform the judiciary into a single national ecosystem with shared standards, seamless digital architecture, harmonised procedures, and greater clarity in judgments without diluting the federal character of the courts.

Highlighting predictability as the soul of the Rule of Law, the Chief Justice observed that citizens approach courts seeking certainty, consistency, and timely outcomes. He explained how data analytics, digital dashboards, and case-flow management systems can identify systemic delays, procedural bottlenecks, and resource gaps, thereby enabling targeted institutional reform and strengthening public confidence in the justice delivery system.

Justice Surya Kant further stressed the need to prioritise matters impacting liberty, livelihood, and economic growth, stating that delay in such cases causes irreversible harm. Referring to his early administrative directions as Chief Justice of India, he reiterated that urgent matters such as bail, habeas corpus petitions, death penalty cases, and proceedings involving eviction or demolition—must be listed expeditiously, making urgency a matter of institutional design rather than discretion.

Emphasising the centrality of precedent, the Chief Justice described it as the judiciary’s enduring promise to treat equals equally. He noted that technology enables precedents to move beyond archives by making them easily accessible, thematically organised, and consistently applied across courts. He also highlighted the importance of grouping similar matters to ensure efficiency, consistency, and fairness, warning that fragmented adjudication of identical issues undermines institutional trust.

Addressing the need for uniformity and clarity in judgments, Justice Surya Kant observed that judgments must be intelligible to citizens and not obscured by excessive jargon or inconsistent formats. Uniform judicial expression, he said, is essential for ensuring that justice is not only delivered but also understood.

Concluding his address, the Chief Justice stated that while tools such as the National Judicial Data Grid, e-courts platforms, and AI-based research assistants are crucial bridges towards institutional coherence, the true measure of innovation lies in whether a citizen can easily understand the outcome of their case and trust that justice has been done.

“Our judiciary must be modern in its tools, humane in its approach, and constitutional in its spirit,” he said.