Can Technology Bring Fast-track Justice

It is true that, technology holds significant potential to bring about fast-track justice by improving the efficiency, accessibility, and transparency of the judicial system.

The recent surge in crimes against women is indeed a matter of grave concern, especially in light of the legislative and judicial measures that were enacted following the Nirbhaya case of 2012. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013, or the Nirbhaya Act, was introduced with the intention of strengthening the legal framework to combat such crimes. However, the persistent rise in these incidents suggests that the mere presence of laws is not enough to deter offenders.

The Indian judiciary is plagued by a significant backlog of cases, leading to inordinate delays in the delivery of justice. As the Ajmer mass blackmail and rape case demonstrates, the delay in sentencing can span decades, which not only dilutes the impact of the law but also sends a message of impunity to potential offenders.

The prolonged legal process contributes to a loss of faith in the justice system, as victims and their families often feel abandoned and hopeless when justice is delayed. This delay that takes place in the Indian justice system is one of the main reasons why the law does not act as a deterrent.

The challenges in using CCTV footage as evidence is that it can be digitally altered or generated. Therefore, it does not serve as an irrefutable evidence. This limitation can be overcome if standards are prescribed for recording and storage of the content to preserve its integrity and immutability.

At a later date, when technology becomes more advanced and it becomes possible for us to analyse emotions and body language in a better way, we might even be able to find out the behavioural traits that could tell about the intent of the person. This will enable us to take proactive steps to stop such persons before they commit the crime.

All this is perhaps being done by human investigators too, but what takes days or weeks or months for us humans to find, the computer can find in minutes and this can dramatically hasten the apprehending of the suspects and their prosecution.

Moving forward, there are Action Points For The Government for Enact a legislation for prescribing standards for capturing of videos and images using CCTVs for onsite and offsite storage in a tamperproof manner.