CJI Surya Kant Backs Deeper Germany Judicial Ties
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has called for deeper cooperation between the Indian and German judiciaries, saying the two systems can learn from each other in areas including artificial intelligence, court administration, mediation and legal education.
CJI Surya Kant Backs India-Germany Judicial Cooperation
The CJI made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with Dr Ulrich Herrmann, Presiding Judge of Germany’s Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe, and members of the German judicial delegation.
Surya Kant said India’s common-law system and Germany’s civil-law structure differ significantly, but both face similar challenges involving appellate workloads, consistency of judgments, timely disposal of cases and access to justice.
The two sides also discussed establishing a structured framework for cooperation, potentially through a Memorandum of Understanding.
CJI Says AI Cannot Replace Judicial Judgment
Artificial intelligence and court digitalisation were major areas of discussion. Surya Kant highlighted India’s Phase III eCourts Mission Mode Project, which has an approved outlay of ₹7,210 crore.
He also referred to AI-based tools being used for legal research, judgment translation and providing citizens with information about court procedures and case status.
The CJI stressed that artificial intelligence should assist judges rather than determine judicial outcomes, maintaining that human judgment and judicial conscience must remain central to decision-making.
India and Germany Explore Cross-Border Mediation
Surya Kant also proposed greater cooperation on cross-border commercial mediation, including joint training for mediators and sharing experience on recognition and enforcement of settlements.
Future collaboration could extend to e-filing, electronic court records, cybersecurity, digital evidence and legal education.
He proposed designating institutional points of contact in both countries to turn the discussions into a formal programme of judicial exchanges and cooperation.
