In a significant move to preserve the integrity of judicial reasoning, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has formally prohibited all judicial officers in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh from using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for writing judgments or conducting legal research.
The directive, issued via a letter from the High Court Registrar-General on Monday, explicitly names popular AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and Meta. The communication makes it clear that the instructions come directly from the Chief Justice and warns that any violation will be “viewed seriously.”
The move underscores a growing concern within the Indian judiciary regarding the delegation of substantive legal work to automated systems. By banning the use of AI for both the drafting of orders and the underlying legal research, the High Court aims to ensure that judicial outcomes remain the product of human deliberation and professional expertise.
The instruction applies to all district and sessions judges, who have been tasked with ensuring compliance among the judicial officers under their control.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court is not the first to take a hard line on AI. Recently, the Gujarat High Court unveiled a comprehensive AI policy during a conference for the district judiciary. That policy prohibits the use of AI for any “substantive adjudicatory process,” including:
- Decision-making and judicial reasoning
- Order drafting and judgment preparation
- Bail and sentencing considerations
The Gujarat High Court’s stance clarifies that while AI can be leveraged to improve the speed and administrative quality of justice delivery, it must never serve as a replacement for the core intellectual exercise of judicial reasoning.
The sudden proliferation of Large Language Models (LLMs) has sparked a global debate on their role in the legal profession. While these tools can summarize vast amounts of data, they are known to “hallucinate” or provide inaccurate legal citations—a risk that could lead to grave miscarriages of justice if left unchecked in a courtroom setting.
With this latest order, the Punjab and Haryana High Court joins the ranks of judicial bodies prioritizing the “human element” in the delivery of justice, drawing a firm line between technological assistance and judicial authorship.
