India, June 8 -- The Supreme Court's proposed "Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Courts, 2026" may well be one of the most consequential judicial reform initiatives in recent years. Released during the tenure of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, the draft framework is not merely a technology policy but also an attempt to answer a question that courts across the world are grappling with: how should the justice system harness the benefits of AI without compromising judicial independence, due process, fairness, and human judgment?

What makes the draft particularly noteworthy is that it neither treats AI as a threat to be resisted nor as a miracle solution to judicial delays. Instead, it adopts a carefully balance...