CNLU collaborates with UK firm for AI-based legal research project

Patna: In a significant development aimed at boosting research activities of societal importance on its campus, the Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) has undertaken an AI-based legal research project worth Rs1 crore in collaboration with UK-based company Gravitas AI.Giving details of the research project, CNLU registrar SP Singh told this newspaper that the research is an ongoing techno-legal initiative aimed at exploring the practical integration of AI with India’s evolving criminal justice framework. The purpose is to develop an AI tool for legal research.Project director Md Irfan said the project was conceived in response to the enactment of the three new criminal laws in India and began with a focused study of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). Till now, the work has involved detailed legal research, interpretative analysis, and structured documentation of statutory provisions, with the objective of making the new criminal law regime more accessible for the legal fraternity, law enforcement agencies and judiciary in particular and the public in general.The project aims at completing the BNS in its entirety and subsequently extending the research to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. The project is also funded by the Union ministry of social justice, he said. Furthermore, the CNLU has also filed a patent for its innovative work related to this subject.The registrar further pointed out that led by vice-chancellor Faizan Mustafa the university has seen a noticeable increase in research activity in recent times, as reflected in the growing number of research scholars on campus. Some of the doctoral scholars of the university would now receive two Ph D degrees — one from CNLU and another from University of Groningen, Netherlands. Under this dual degree programme, CNLU research scholars would spend two years here and the next two at the University of Groningen.The university has established a state of the art cyber security and digital forensics centre which will train police officers of the state in digital forensics. The university is also proposing to establish few new centres on AI and law, wetlands, forests and climate justice; mental health and disability law; land and real estate law; social responsibility and participatory governance.The registrar further said that the CNLU introduced a future-oriented basket of elective courses, designed to address emerging legal challenges, interdisciplinary concerns, and policy debates. These are offered by international experts from Canada, Netherlands, UK, South Africa, etc.The university’s legal aid cell has launched Bihar Samvidhan Fellowship in partnership with Nyaya and with the support of Tata Sons. The Bihar Samvidhan Fellowship, a one-year paid programme with Rs35,000 per month, is designed for lawyers in Bihar who practice across various district courts. During the year 2024-2025, the Samvidhan fellows have conducted more than 150 legal awareness sessions with communities across Bihar. More than 4,300 women and children, across 17 districts were reached out under this scheme.