Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used within Indian courts, often via experimental or “shadow” forms of use. While properly governed under rights-based principles, clear regulatory frameworks, and transparent and effective safeguards, AI systems can

• improve access to justice,
• support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and
• strengthen institutional performance.

However, AI adoption occurs under stretched administrative capacity and is largely driven by individual champions, making it vulnerable to disruption due to judicial transfers or retirements. As custodians of highly sensitive information, courts must exercise caution in sharing data with external actors who do not operate under the same ethical mandates or levels of public responsibility. Risks such as bias, hallucinations, lack of transparency, and limitations in underlying datasets pose specific risks to judicial legitimacy. While concerns around data localisation, security and accuracy are common, ethical considerations and mechanisms for post-deployment monitoring must be further developed. This report examines the growing use of AI-enabled tools in Indian courts, identifies key legal and institutional risks, and proposes a practical, rights-aligned framework to guide the ethical, transparent, and accountable adoption of AI in justice delivery.