Meghalaya: Judges call for balanced use of technology to strengthen rule of law

Judges and legal experts from across eastern India have called for a careful and equitable integration of technology in the justice system, warning that unchecked digital advancement could risk creating a “digital apartheid.”

The concerns were raised during the East Zone-II Regional Conference on Advancing Rule of Law through Technology: Challenges and Opportunities, organised jointly by the National Judicial Academy (NJA), the High Court of Meghalaya, and the Meghalaya State Judicial Academy.

The two-day event, held in Shillong, brought together judges from the High Courts of Sikkim, Manipur, Kerala, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bombay, Tripura, Jharkhand, and Meghalaya, alongside scholars and legal practitioners.

Justice Soumen Sen, Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya, said technology must serve the principles of the rule of law—supremacy of law, equality before the law, and fairness in enforcement. He noted that digital tools such as e-governance systems, online legal services, and AI-assisted research could enhance transparency and public trust, but warned of persistent challenges, including privacy concerns, misinformation, ethical dilemmas, and the loss of human empathy in judicial processes.

NJA Director Justice Aniruddha Bose urged the judiciary to develop technological capacities without deepening social divides. He highlighted India’s progress in using technology to democratise access to justice—from the introduction of computers and digital evidence to the live-streaming of court proceedings—but cautioned that artificial intelligence and digital evidence must be handled with rigour to prevent manipulation and misuse.

Sessions on the first day covered themes such as bridging the digital divide, managing electronic and digital media, and leveraging technology in alternative dispute resolution.

The conference concluded with participants reaffirming the judiciary’s role in ensuring that innovation supports, rather than undermines, the rule of law.