Justice Manmohan Says PM Modi’s Point on Macaulay “Extremely Valid”

Justice Manmohan began his address at the India Law, AI and Tech Summit 2025 by referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks on Macaulay and the long-term impact of the English education system introduced during colonial rule. He said the Prime Minister had spoken at length about how this imposition created a distance between people and their own knowledge systems. He said it was not only a historical question but one that continues to shape the justice system even today. He pointed out that this was indeed a “very valid point”. Justice Manmohan said that justice delivery in local languages connects citizens to the system in a direct and meaningful way, and this is where artificial intelligence can play a transformative role.

He explained that accessibility begins with comprehension. When court documents, filings and arguments function primarily in English, a large part of the population finds the system unfamiliar and difficult to navigate. He said that language cannot remain a barrier if the judiciary wishes to stay connected to the people it serves. AI supported translation tools, voice interfaces and local language platforms can help bridge this gap and bring legal processes closer to citizens.

Justice Manmohan then turned to the broader question of technology and the challenges it brings. He said that law is lagging behind technology. Almost all laws interpreted and applied by courts were created for the physical world, and judges must now determine how to adapt these laws to digital environments. He posed a simple but powerful illustration. He asked the audience to imagine painting a Hussain, physically owning it, and then encountering a digital conflict because that artwork also exists in a parallel virtual space. He said that technology has created new genres of litigation and courts must prepare themselves for these disputes.

He explained that the relationship between law and technology has become more complex because technology is moving faster than institutions can respond. Courts are already grappling with serious issues that arise from this divide. As the Supreme Court is the custodian of the Constitution, he said it must ensure that the rights of citizens are protected even as the nature of harm, ownership, loss and responsibility continues to change.

He asked whether the current legal framework is adequate for deciding disputes of the twenty first century. He said this question has become urgent and transforming justice through AI requires attention from all stakeholders, including the government. He added that India must move towards systems that can understand the digital world without losing constitutional values.

Justice Manmohan also addressed the issue of pendency. He said that India has about 50 million cases pending across courts and that the Supreme Court has close to 90,000 cases. He said that backlog is not just a statistic. It represents people waiting for closure, relief and justice. He said that if the system continues at its current pace, the gap between expectation and delivery will only widen.

He shared a personal observation to underline the workload on judges. He said that he recently started wearing a health band and it showed he has a huge sleep deficit. He added that his brother and sister judges have the same issue. He said this reflects the pressure on the judiciary. There are only about 21 judges per million people in India while several other countries have around 100 judges per million. He said that this difference highlights the scale of the challenge.

On technology, he said AI can help with some aspects of accessibility, especially translation for people who cannot follow English. However, he cautioned that AI brings significant challenges. He said AI can hallucinate and produce incorrect information. He said it can be biased because it reflects the data it is trained on. He added that AI lacks sensitivity and cannot understand the emotional and human elements of disputes. He said that machines cannot replace human emotional intelligence, which is essential in judicial decision making.

Justice Manmohan concluded by saying that India must build a justice delivery model that uses technology responsibly, adapts to digital realities and remains rooted in human judgment. He said that the country’s future legal framework must balance innovation with caution and accessibility with fairness, while ensuring that citizens remain at the centre of the system.