NEW DELHI — India underscored its commitment to data-driven, citizen-focused justice reforms at the 10th OECD Global Roundtable on Equal Access to Justice held in Madrid, where Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law & Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal highlighted India’s model of technology-enabled, people-centric justice delivery.
Speaking at the Justice Leaders Dialogue on the theme “Data-Driven and Resilient Justice Systems for Shared Prosperity,” Meghwal said India’s justice reforms are anchored in the constitutional vision of social, economic and political justice, guided by Article 39A. Quoting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, he reaffirmed that justice in India is rooted in equality, liberty and fraternity.
Meghwal emphasized that in a diverse democracy, justice delivery must be accessible, empathetic and strengthened through digital public infrastructure. He spotlighted the e-Courts Mission Mode Project, now in its third phase, which aims to build intelligent, paperless courts using AI, machine learning and NLP. Over 560 crore pages of records are being digitized, and more than 3.86 crore virtual hearings have been conducted to improve accessibility and efficiency.
During the COVID-19 pandemic alone, courts held nearly 43 million virtual hearings, marking a major shift toward inclusive justice delivery. Live-streaming of court proceedings, cloud hosting of judicial data and digital integration under the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) are accelerating evidence-based decision-making.
The minister also highlighted initiatives such as LIMBS, SUVAS, SUPACE, and AI-enabled case management tools, noting that India’s adoption of AI remains ethically governed and human-supervised.
India’s flagship DISHA programme and the Tele-Law initiative—through which more than 1.1 crore citizens have received free legal advice in 22 languages—were cited as examples of last-mile delivery of justice services. Programs like Nyaya Setu and Vidhi Baithaks are further bridging gaps in awareness, geography and digital access.
Meghwal referenced India’s leadership in hosting the 1st Regional Conference on Access to Legal Aid in 2023, which convened 191 participants from 51 countries. He reaffirmed India’s readiness to collaborate with OECD members on ethical AI governance, digital inclusion and data interoperability.
Also present was Law Secretary Dr. Anju Rathi Rana. India’s participation, Meghwal said, reflects the country’s resolve to build resilient, citizen-centered, and innovation-driven justice systems globally.
Closing with the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — “The world is one family” — he urged nations to strengthen cooperation and mutual trust to expand equal access to justice worldwide.
