Chief Justice of India Surya Kant called for the development of a "Swadeshi jurisprudence" during a lecture at Oxford University [1].
The proposal signals a shift toward reducing the Indian judiciary's reliance on foreign technology. By prioritizing indigenous tools, the court aims to ensure that legal interpretations remain rooted in the specific social and institutional context of India.
Kant said the goal is to create a legal framework that integrates indigenous technology and artificial intelligence while remaining true to the country's constitutional values [1]. He said that this approach must account for India's institutional realities, linguistic diversity, and social conditions [1].
The Chief Justice highlighted the need to build an indigenous AI ecosystem specifically for the judiciary [2]. Such a system would allow the court to embrace technology rapidly without compromising the constitutional ethos that defines the Indian legal system [2].
This move toward "Swadeshi" — a term meaning "of one's own country" — suggests a strategic pivot toward digital sovereignty in the legal sector. The integration of AI is intended to streamline judicial processes while ensuring the tools are calibrated to the unique linguistic, and cultural needs of the Indian population [1].
Kant said that the emphasis on homegrown jurisprudence is necessary to protect the integrity of the judicial process from external technological biases [2].
“CJI Surya Kant called for the development of a "Swadeshi jurisprudence"”
The push for Swadeshi jurisprudence represents a move toward technological sovereignty. By developing AI and legal frameworks tailored to India's linguistic diversity and social structures, the judiciary seeks to avoid the 'algorithmic bias' often found in Western-developed software, ensuring that the automation of legal processes does not alienate citizens or distort constitutional interpretations.
