Kalpetta in Wayanad, Kerala, has become the first judicial district in India to operate entirely as a paperless court system, marking a major step in the country’s push for judicial digitisation. Under the new framework, all judicial processes—from filing cases to issuing final judgments—are now conducted completely digitally.
Every stage of court proceedings, including pre-trial hearings, recording of evidence, interlocutory motions, and final adjudication, is handled electronically. The system incorporates Artificial Intelligence tools that create structured case summaries from digital records, allowing judges to quickly understand the facts and procedural history of cases.
Interactive question-and-answer features let judicial officers query case-specific details, while digital annotation tools enable judges to highlight relevant laws and take notes directly on electronic files. Voice-to-text technology ensures accurate transcription of witness statements and judicial dictation. All orders and judgments are authenticated using secure digital signatures, guaranteeing legal validity and integrity.
The system was developed in-house by the Kerala High Court. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that implementing the project in Wayanad, an ecologically sensitive area in the Western Ghats, reflects a commitment to “green jurisprudence.” He added that it also democratizes access to justice by providing real-time access to court documents for all stakeholders, regardless of location.
Justice Vikram Nath, chair of the Supreme Court E-Committee, described the Kalpetta model as scalable and suitable for replication across district courts nationwide. Kerala High Court Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar highlighted benefits including lower costs, faster case processing, and fewer clerical delays for lawyers and litigants.
Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar noted that in-house AI development addressed concerns over unreliable data, while Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V emphasized that the transition was achieved through careful consultation with all stakeholders. Bar representatives assured ongoing cooperation to extend court digitisation throughout the state.
