Supreme Court Judge Surya Kant said fake news, public emotions, and media trials are quietly damaging India’s justice system. He stressed that transparency without understanding law is hurting public trust.
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California: Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant, who is expected to become the next Chief Justice of India, gave a powerful speech in San Francisco. In his address, he said that India’s judicial system is silently facing a big danger due to viral fake news, emotional public reactions, and media trials.
These issues, he warned, are reducing people’s trust in the courts.
He explained that while transparency is important, it can be misused when people don’t fully understand the law.
“Transparency can be weaponised—leading to misinterpretation rather than insight. When judicial decisions are judged in the court of public opinion before they are understood in the court of law, the result is not civic empowerment but confusion, cynicism, and, ultimately, erosion of trust.”
Justice Kant spoke in front of an audience that included Indian diaspora, technology experts, and policy analysts.
The event was titled-
‘Judicial Evolution in a Time of Transformation: Safeguarding Constitutionalism in the Digital Age’.
He highlighted that the digital world has created a new kind of audience that is loud, quick to react, and often not fully informed. Many people, he said, now react more with feelings than with proper understanding of law.
He stated,
“Courts are now subjected to trolling, misinformation and personal attacks simply for adhering to the rule of law.”
These online attacks not only harm the image of judges but also damage the structure of India’s democratic system.
Justice Kant said that courts gain respect from the trust and moral authority they hold—not from force or power. He believes this trust should be built through simple, clear communication and more awareness among the public.
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He suggested easy-to-understand judgment summaries, working with schools and colleges, and open online discussions about court decisions to help people understand the judiciary better.
But he also warned that being open and digital can be risky if not handled carefully.
He clearly said,
“Legal awareness without legal understanding can lead to a distortion of judicial messaging.”
According to him, short courtroom clips taken out of context and loud media debates often confuse people instead of helping them understand the real issue.
Speaking on the role of technology in courts, Justice Kant praised India’s progress with things like e-Courts and hybrid hearings. But he also cautioned against depending too much on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in legal matters.
He said,
“No algorithm can account for the mitigating circumstances of a convict or the fragile family background of a juvenile.”
He stressed that human emotions, understanding, and ethics cannot be replaced by machines.
He also said that digital justice should be equal for all. Everyone, including rural people, women, and weaker sections, must have access to technology, internet, and legal information in their own language.
He said clearly,
“Digital justice cannot become a privilege of the digitally literate.”
On the subject of improving the system, Justice Kant said we should never think that change makes the judiciary weak. In fact, he encouraged self-checking and regular updates to improve how courts function.
He said,
“Reform is not a sign of weakness, but maturity.”
He believes that judicial freedom is not only for judges, but to protect the common man, saying,
“Judicial independence is not a privilege of judges; it is a safeguard for citizens.”
Justice Kant also spoke about the moral role of the judiciary. He reminded everyone that Indian courts have not just settled disputes but have helped build democratic values and social justice, citing important rulings on privacy, gender equality, and open prisons.
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However, he warned against going too far, saying,
“Judicial overreach, however well-intentioned, risks unsettling the delicate balance of powers.”
He ended his speech with a powerful and hopeful message. He asked people to think of courts not just as places of law, but as symbols of justice and change in real life.
He said,
“Courts may render judgments, but justice is delivered only when those judgments touch the lives of real people in meaningful ways.”
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