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Supreme Court Justices at NLU Delhi Convocation Caution Against AI, Emphasize Ethics
In a powerful two-day ceremony that underscored the evolving responsibilities of the legal profession, celebrated its 13th Convocation with addresses from two judges. Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, speaking on consecutive days, delivered pointed warnings against uncritical reliance on artificial intelligence while urging graduating lawyers to anchor their careers in , , and service to society. The convocation, held on , conferred degrees on 321 scholars across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes, marking a significant milestone for the institution.
A Convocation of Two Days, One Purpose
The ceremony opened with the undergraduate and doctoral convocation on 29 August, graced by Justice B.V. Nagarathna as Chief Guest and Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Chief Justice of the and Chancellor of NLU Delhi, who formally declared the convocation open. Over 132 scholars received their degrees, including eight Ph.D. recipients. The second day, 30 August, was dedicated to the LL.M. programmes, with Justice Ujjal Bhuyan as Chief Guest and Justice Vivek Chaudhary of the conferring degrees on 189 postgraduate scholars. Both days featured the presentation of medals and cash prizes to mark academic excellence.
In his welcome address, Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai reminded graduates that convocation is not an end but a threshold into professional responsibility. He urged them to safeguard their integrity, remain intellectually curious, and use their legal education to strengthen institutions and serve society.
"Law gives you a profession. Justice gives that profession a purpose,"
he observed, setting the tone for the judicial addresses that followed.
Justice Nagarathna: The Trust of the Legal Profession
Justice B.V. Nagarathna delivered the convocation address with a clear message: the legal profession must be approached as a public trust rooted in
, ethics, and service. She emphasized that lawyers must combine professional competence with integrity, sound judgment, and social responsibility.
"Lawyers are not merely advocates for clients; they are
and custodians of the
,"
she said.
The judge devoted significant attention to the growing relevance of . She encouraged young lawyers to become effective problem-solvers and to look beyond purely adversarial approaches to legal disputes. , she noted, offer pathways to justice that are often more efficient and less destructive than litigation. This advice aligns with the Supreme Court's own push to institutionalize mediation as a mainstream dispute resolution mechanism.
Perhaps her most striking remarks concerned technology. Justice Nagarathna cautioned students against uncritical dependence on emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. She stressed the importance of verifying legal authorities and avoiding reliance on fake or hallucinated judgments—a growing concern in legal circles as AI tools become more prevalent. While technology may transform legal research and drafting, she underlined that , professional independence, ethical responsibility, and commitment to the remain indispensable.
Justice Bhuyan: Law as a Life of Justice
The second day's convocation address by Justice Ujjal Bhuyan carried a similar urgency. He congratulated the graduating LL.M. students, their families, and teachers, but quickly turned to a broader call: future lawyers must regard law not merely as a means of livelihood, but as a life devoted to justice, integrity, and courage.
A key theme of Justice Bhuyan's address was the strengthening of legal academia. He called for serious consideration of distinguished jurists for appointment to the Supreme Court under
. This provision allows for the appointment of persons
"who are, in the opinion of the President, distinguished jurists"
to the highest court, a route rarely used in recent decades. Justice Bhuyan argued that academic excellence should be valued in judicial appointments, reinforcing the connection between scholarly rigor and judicial wisdom.
He stressed that legal education must cultivate independent thought, questioning, and respectful debate.
"Tolerance, dissent and disagreement are
essential to democracy,"
he said, while liberty, equality, dignity, and justice must guide every legal professional. His remarks echoed growing judicial concerns about the erosion of democratic discourse and the need for lawyers to defend
.
The AI Dilemma: Remains Indispensable
Both justices independently raised the specter of artificial intelligence, albeit from different angles. Justice Nagarathna warned against overreliance on AI tools that generate legal authorities, noting that "fake or hallucinated judgments" can mislead even experienced practitioners. Justice Bhuyan, while not explicitly naming AI, emphasized the importance of independent thought and ethical judgment—qualities that machines cannot replicate.
This dual caution reflects a broader tension within the legal profession: technology offers efficiency, but at the cost of eroding human deliberation. The justices' remarks suggest that law schools must integrate technology training without sacrificing critical analysis and ethical reasoning. Vice-Chancellor Bajpai acknowledged this in his welcome, noting that universities must prepare students for "AI-driven and unpredictable futures" while cultivating empathy and resilience.
Redefining Legal Academia: Beyond the Courtroom
The addresses also touched on the purpose of legal education itself. Prof. Bajpai observed that law schools must go beyond producing practitioners and nurture academics, researchers, policy thinkers, and knowledge creators capable of developing original jurisprudence, challenging injustice, and advancing law for society's larger good. Justice Nagarathna similarly called for lawyers to be effective problem-solvers, while Justice Bhuyan underscored the importance of legal academia in shaping constitutional discourse.
The emphasis on academia is timely. As the legal profession becomes more specialized and interdisciplinary, the demand for rigorous scholarly research and policy analysis grows. NLU Delhi, with its burgeoning Ph.D. and LL.M. programmes, is positioning itself as a hub for such work. The convocation's recognition of eight doctoral graduates signals a commitment to producing high-caliber legal scholars.
Impact on Legal Practice: A Call for Constitutional Integrity
For the broader legal community, the convocation messages carry profound implications. Practitioners are being reminded that their duty extends beyond zealous representation. The exhortation to prioritize integrity and social responsibility resonates in an era of increasing corporatization of law firms and ethical gray areas. The justices' endorsement of ADR as a core skill suggests that young lawyers should diversify their practice to include .
Moreover, the caution against uncritical AI use has practical consequences. Law offices increasingly rely on AI for research, document review, and even drafting. The justices' warnings imply that firms must implement verification protocols and retain human oversight. Failure to do so risks ethical violations and malpractice claims—particularly if AI-generated citations prove fictitious.
Conclusion: A Commitment to Justice Beyond the Classroom
NLU Delhi's 13th Convocation served as both a celebration and a clarion call. The institution reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing legal professionals and scholars guided by justice, integrity, , professional excellence, and service to society. The words of Justice Nagarathna and Justice Bhuyan echoed beyond the auditorium, reminding the legal fraternity that technology and profit must never overshadow the profession's foundational purpose.
As the graduating Class of 2026 steps into practice, academia, or policy, they carry with them not just degrees but a charge: to uphold ethics, question authority, and use their skills to strengthen the . In an age of rapid change, the timeless values of , constitutional fidelity, and service remain the true north for every lawyer.
