Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said he was shocked to learn that cyber crimes have siphoned off thousands of crores of rupees from senior citizens across India. He stressed the urgent need for judicial training to tackle modern cyber offences like digital arrest and online extortion.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday expressed serious concern over the rising number of cyber crimes in the country, saying that common people, especially senior citizens, have been cheated of thousands of crores of rupees.
The Chief Justice was speaking at a function in Pothahi, on the outskirts of Patna, where he laid the foundation stone for a new campus of the Bihar Judicial Academy. He said cyber crimes have become one of the biggest modern challenges for the Indian judiciary.
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The CJI said,
“A judicial academy is the only effective platform for district judiciary to keep abreast of the newest complexities in civil or criminal laws like the fast-growing quagmire of cyber crimes.”
Highlighting how new types of cyber offences are troubling courts, he said judges earlier never imagined dealing with such crimes.
He added,
“All of you have never thought of hearing offences like digital arrest and how these cyber crimes are being committed day and night, and the harassment caused, particularly, to senior citizens.”
The CJI said these emerging cyber offences pose serious challenges before the Indian judiciary.
Speaking about the huge financial losses suffered by victims, especially elderly citizens, the Chief Justice said he was shocked by the scale of cyber fraud in the country.
The CJI said,
“I was shocked to know that in India alone, not a few hundred crores, (but) thousands of crores have been siphoned off, by way of extortion committed on senior citizens through cyber crime.”
He said this situation shows why it is extremely important to properly train judicial officers to deal with such modern crimes with sensitivity and awareness.
Explaining the role of judicial training, the Chief Justice said judges are shaped not only by experience but also by continuous learning.
The CJI said,
“Courts function through judges, but judges are also shaped by training. Judicial academies are, therefore, silent pillars that sustain the justice delivery system. They are spaces where legal knowledge is refined.”
He said the judiciary today is functioning in a rapidly changing environment where courts are required to decide cases involving technology, economic growth, social changes and expanding rights.
The CJI said,
“The judiciary today, let us acknowledge, operates in an environment of unprecedented change. Courts are increasingly called upon to address disputes arising from technological innovation, economic complexity, social transformation and evolving rights jurisprudence.”
Pointing out that public expectations from courts are increasing, he said judicial education must be continuous and not limited to occasional training.
Maintaining that public expectations from the justice delivery system are higher than ever, the CJI said judicial education cannot remain static and episodic, with continuous learning essential for maintaining judicial relevance and credibility.
He further stressed that judges must constantly update their thinking and remain socially sensitive and ethically strong.
The CJI said,
“Judges must remain intellectually agile, socially aware and ethically grounded. Judicial academies serve as the institutional mechanism through which this ongoing education is structured and maintained. They provide judges with the tools to interpret law in a manner that is principled, pragmatic and sensitive to the life realities of the litigants.”
The Chief Justice said judicial training has an impact far beyond courtrooms and directly affects people’s faith in the justice system.
He said the ripple effect of judicial training extends far beyond courtrooms and classrooms, and they shape public trust in the rule of law.
The CJI added,
“Justice, when delivered efficiently and humanly, reinforces democratic faith.”
Referring to Bihar, the Chief Justice said the state has a unique social and historical background that the judiciary must understand while delivering justice.
The CJI said Bihar’s social diversity, historical experience and regional challenges provide a distinct context within which justice must operate.
He said a judicial academy in Bihar must focus on local realities while ensuring that decisions remain consistent with constitutional values and national legal principles.
The CJI said,
“A judicial academy in Bihar must, therefore, engage with these realities, understanding local social dynamics, regional legal issues and everyday challenges faced by citizens while ensuring that adjudication remains consistent with constitutional values and national jurisprudence.”
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