A few weeks ago, the Madras High Court permitted an AI-assisted system inside live court proceedings. Kerala’s 24×7 ON Court, just a year old, has already shown how locally designed solutions can significantly compress resolution time. But for these efforts to scale, the Rs 1,200 crore e-courts budget announced earlier this year must become accessible to the high courts willing to act.

For nearly two decades, the e-courts mission has been India’s flagship effort to modernise court administration. Over Rs 4,104 crore has been spent since 2011, and earnest efforts have followed. Yet, courts remain slow, unpredictable, and disempowering. A critical reason for this is the way the budget is allocated and governed.

If the goal is faster, more predictable, and seamless courts, high courts may need greater autonomy to determine their own needs and innovate. This autonomy to set their priorities, control their spending, and drive local innovation may be the missing piece. There are three reasons:

First, the Constitution and administrative logic support it. Under Article 227, high courts have administrative superintendence over district courts. They are........

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