The Supreme Court has published a draft of the “Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Courts, 2026”, proposing a comprehensive framework to govern the adoption, deployment and oversight of AI across the Indian judiciary. Stakeholders and members of the public have been invited to submit comments and suggestions by June 20, 2026.

Prepared under the aegis of the Supreme Court’s Artificial Intelligence Committee, the draft regulations seek to balance technological innovation with judicial independence, transparency, accountability, data protection and human oversight.

A central feature of the proposed framework is the principle of human primacy, under which AI systems may only function in an assistive capacity and cannot replace judicial decision-making. The draft expressly provides that the authority to determine questions of law, fact and justice shall remain exclusively with judicial officers.

The regulations identify several permissible uses of AI, including case management, cause-list preparation, scheduling, legal research, citation verification, document summarisation, translation, transcription, accessibility services and administrative functions. However, such use would generally remain subject to human supervision and verification.

The draft imposes an absolute prohibition on the use of AI for adjudication or sentencing without mandatory human oversight. It also bars AI-based risk scoring, including assessment of flight risk, recidivism prediction, bail eligibility determinations and evaluation of witness credibility. AI systems would likewise be prohibited from predicting the future conduct of parties, accused persons or witnesses.

The proposed framework further requires disclosure where AI-generated content is used in court proceedings. Parties using AI in the preparation of pleadings, documents or evidence would be required to disclose such use and verify the accuracy of AI-generated material. The draft also states that a person cannot rely on the AI-generated nature of a document as a defence if the material is later found to be false, fabricated or misleading.

To oversee AI governance, the regulations propose the establishment of a permanent Apex Body at the Supreme Court level, along with AI Committees in the Supreme Court and every High Court. The framework also envisages a Centre of Research and Excellence on Artificial Intelligence (CoRE-AI), dedicated AI Secretariats, annual audits, incident reporting mechanisms and transparency obligations.

The draft additionally mandates compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and requires heightened safeguards for sensitive judicial data. AI systems processing such data may not transfer it to external systems without express authorisation.

Notably, the regulations create a presumption in favour of responsible AI adoption, encouraging courts to deploy AI tools that improve access to justice, reduce delays and enhance administrative efficiency, while maintaining judicial control over all substantive decisions.

Key Features of the Draft Regulations

• AI can assist but cannot replace judges.
• AI-based adjudication and sentencing are prohibited.
• AI cannot be used for bail risk scoring, recidivism prediction or witness credibility assessment.
• AI-generated content filed before courts must be disclosed and verified.
• Annual audits and incident reporting mechanisms are proposed.
• Dedicated AI governance bodies are to be established across the judiciary.
• Sensitive judicial data will receive enhanced protection.
• Public comments have been invited till June 20, 2026.