Rendering justice is a profoundly human effort, technology can only be a powerful ally: Justice Kant

Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant, said technology is a powerful ally in the legal profession, but providing justice would always be a profoundly human enterprise.

“The essence of our calling lies not in data or algorithms, but in conscience and compassion. The judge’s discernment, the advocate’s reasoning, the litigant’s dignity, and the empathy that animates every fair trial — these are the living fibres of justice that no machine can replicate,” Justice Kant said in his keynote address at the National Law Conference organised by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.

Speaking on the topic ‘Technology in the aid of the legal profession: A global perspective’ on October 24, Justice Kant said Artificial Intelligence (AI) may assist in researching authorities, generating drafts, or highlighting inconsistencies, but it “cannot perceive the tremor in a witness’s voice, the anguish behind a petition, or the moral weight of a decision”.

“Let us be crystal clear: We are not replacing the lawyer or the judge, we are simply augmenting their reach and refining their capacity to serve. Let technology be the guide, and the human govern,” Justice Kant, who is in line to be the next Chief Justice of India, in accordance with the seniority norm, said.

Justice Kant noted that the legal field could not ignore technology, especially AI.

“We stand at a decisive moment — we can resist technology and risk stagnation, or we can shape and guide it, embedding our legal and ethical values within its design, so that it strengthens, not supplants, justice,” Justice Kant said.