In a historic move set to transform India’s judicial infrastructure, the Kerala High Court has mandated the use of Adalat AI, an artificial intelligence-based speech-to-text transcription system, across all trial courts in the state starting November 1, 2025. This marks the first such mandatory statewide rollout of AI in the Indian legal system.
The direction was issued through an official memorandum dated September 27, 2025, following the successful pilot of Adalat AI in Ernakulam district courts since February this year.
Ending Delays in Manual Court Transcription
Until now, witness depositions in Kerala’s courts were either handwritten by judges or dictated to typists, often leading to significant delays, adjournments, and backlogs due to workforce limitations. Adalat AI is designed to resolve this by enabling real-time, accurate speech-to-text conversion of witness testimonies using a legal speech model trained in Malayalam.
To improve transparency and reduce errors, the system also features display screens inside witness boxes, allowing witnesses to verify and sign their statements immediately. These transcripts are then uploaded to the cloud and made accessible to registered advocates for timely review and documentation.
First Statewide AI Rollout in Indian Judiciary
Kerala becomes the first Indian state to mandate an AI transcription system across all district and sessions courts. Developed under the IndiaAI Mission by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Adalat AI was built in collaboration with judges, court staff, and stenographers. It has been tested in nine states over nine months, receiving positive feedback for its reliability and language precision.
Judicial experts hail this development as a milestone in legal tech reform, with the potential to set a national benchmark for technology-driven transparency, speed, and accountability in judicial processes.
