The Indian court system represents one of the world’s most continuous and adaptive traditions of justice, evolving from ancient customary and religious adjudication to a constitutionally grounded, technology-driven judiciary. This paper traces the historical trajectory of courts in India from the earliest civilizations of the subcontinent through medieval transformations, colonial institutionalization, postindependence constitutional consolidation, and finally the emergence of the Smart Court paradigm in the digital age. By situating judicial evolution within political authority, legal philosophy, and administrative reform, the study demonstrates how Indian courts have consistently balanced continuity and change. The contemporary Smart Court initiative characterized by e-filing, virtual hearings, artificial intelligence-assisted processes, and data-driven judicial administration marks not a rupture but the latest phase in a long tradition of institutional modernization aimed at enhancing access to justice, transparency, and efficiency.
Srinivas et al. (Thu,) studied this question.