2 min readNew DelhiApr 18, 2026 01:20 PM IST
Supreme Court judge Justice BV Nagarathna on Saturday said that judges who are unable to live within their known sources of income and fall prey to greed and temptation must be weeded out of the system, besides cautioning against any “external pressure” or that from “colleagues”.
She was speaking on the topic “Reimagining the Judiciary in the Era of Artificial Intelligence”, when she said, “ There has been an adequate increase in salaries and allowances for the Judges in the District Judiciary, thanks to the Pay Commission’s recommendations being accepted by the Supreme Court and implemented by the State Government. Judges who are unable to live within their known sources of income and fall prey to greed and temptation must be weeded out of the system.”
The speech was delivered at the 22nd Biennial State-Level Conference of Judicial Officers in Bengaluru.
She added, “I must add that Judges must be free from external pressures or from their colleagues. They must develop courage and independence. There cannot be any ‘ coordination ‘ in decision-making. A tainted decision by a Judge is a black mark on the Judge and on the Judiciary itself. Hence, let us realise and be conscious of our duty to the litigant public and to the nation.”
Judiciary and AI
On the role of artificial intelligence in the judiciary, Justice BV Nagarathna said that if judges begin to rely too much on AI, it can create a form of cognitive influence. AI poses a threat to human cognition by subtly shaping how humans process information and make decisions. It poses a threat to the cognitive autonomy of humans, she said.
“Therefore, the classical idea of judicial independence must evolve to include independence from undue AI influence. This means ensuring that judges retain final control over reasoning and that
use of AI remains at the periphery at all times and at all stages. Judicial independence in the modern era is not just freedom from external power, but also freedom from algorithmic influence.”
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