In a landmark decision aimed at transforming trial court proceedings, the Kerala High Court has made it mandatory for all district courts in the state to adopt Adalat AI, a speech-to-text artificial intelligence tool, beginning in November. The initiative is being hailed as a significant step towards reducing systemic delays and modernising the process of recording witness depositions and evidence in courts. This decision makes Kerala the first state in India to fully implement such an AI-powered system across its judicial framework.
The directive was issued through an office memorandum on September 27, which highlighted that the adoption of this technology would help address the long-standing problem of adjournments caused by time-consuming manual recording. At present, many judges are forced to write depositions by hand due to the acute shortage of typists in district courts. This not only prolongs trials but also hampers the efficiency of the judicial process. By replacing handwritten notes with real-time transcription, the High Court hopes to significantly cut down on delays and improve accuracy in documentation.
Joseph Rajesh KA, the Director of IT at the Kerala High Court, explained that Adalat AI will enable judges to directly oversee the transcription of witness statements without the need for human intermediaries. A screen will be placed in the witness box, allowing the witness to review and verify their statement before signing it. Once confirmed, the statements will be securely uploaded to the cloud, making them instantly accessible to registered advocates. This digital process, Rajesh emphasised, will ensure transparency, efficiency, and accessibility in the handling of court records.
The system itself has already undergone extensive testing. Utkarsh Saxena, the founder of Adalat AI, noted that the tool had been piloted for nine months across nine states before being rolled out in Kerala. He described this move as unprecedented, not just in India but possibly worldwide, marking the first instance of an entire state judiciary mandating the use of AI tools across all its courts. The project was developed in collaboration with judges, court staff, and stenographers to ensure it meets practical requirements while also being user-friendly.
To ensure accuracy in Kerala’s multilingual environment, the developers of Adalat AI created a specialised legal speech model tailored to Malayalam, the state’s primary language of court proceedings. This feature will ensure that statements are transcribed precisely, without linguistic errors or misinterpretations. Saxena further added that the project is supported by the Government of India’s IndiaAI Mission, under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, reflecting the government’s commitment to integrating artificial intelligence into critical public service systems.
By mandating the use of Adalat AI, the Kerala High Court is not only addressing persistent inefficiencies in the judicial process but also setting a precedent for other states and countries to follow. The integration of advanced AI technology into courtroom proceedings is expected to pave the way for a faster, more transparent, and accessible justice delivery system in India.
