TLDR: The Kerala High Court has introduced a pioneering policy for the district judiciary, strictly prohibiting the use of Artificial Intelligence tools for judicial decision-making, including arriving at findings, reliefs, orders, or judgments. The policy emphasizes human accountability and warns against risks like privacy breaches and data insecurity.
In a landmark and first-of-its-kind move in India, the Kerala High Court has unveiled a comprehensive ‘Policy Regarding Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in District Judiciary,’ effective July 19, 2025. This significant directive aims to regulate the burgeoning use of AI in judicial functions, particularly within the state’s district judiciary.
The core tenet of the new policy is an explicit prohibition on using AI tools as a substitute for human decision-making or legal reasoning. Judges are strictly advised against employing AI to arrive at any findings, grant reliefs, or issue orders or judgments under any circumstances. The High Court firmly asserts that the ultimate responsibility for the content and integrity of any judicial order or judgment rests solely with the judges.
The policy underscores the need for extreme caution, citing potential negative consequences of indiscriminate AI use, including violations of privacy rights, data security risks, and the erosion of public trust in the judicial process. It highlights that many AI tools, such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek, are cloud-based, posing a significant risk of confidentiality breaches if sensitive case facts, personal identifiers, or privileged communications are submitted. Consequently, the use of all cloud-based services is to be avoided, except for specifically approved AI tools.
While AI tools are not permitted for core decision-making, the policy allows their responsible use solely as an assistive tool for specifically permitted purposes. This includes routine administrative tasks like case scheduling or court management, though human supervision is mandated at all times. The guidelines also acknowledge that AI tools, even approved ones, may produce erroneous, incomplete, or biased results, necessitating meticulous verification of all AI-generated outputs, including legal citations, references, and translations, by judicial officers.
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To ensure compliance and accountability, the policy directs courts to maintain a detailed audit of all instances where AI tools are utilized. Furthermore, any errors or issues noticed in AI-generated outputs from approved tools must be promptly reported to the Principal District Court, which will then forward the information to the High Court’s IT Department for safety reviews. The guidelines apply broadly to members of the district judiciary, their assisting staff, and any interns or law clerks working with them in Kerala. The High Court has also clarified that any violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action, with existing rules pertaining to disciplinary proceedings prevailing.
