Legal System Must Adapt To Technological Pace, Urge Speakers At MIT-ADT Seminar

In the digital era, technology has advanced at a much faster pace than the law, creating significant challenges for investigative agencies and international cooperation.

Over the past two decades, thousands of cybercrime cases have reached the Supreme Court. In such a situation, timely access to e-evidence from foreign servers, regulation of crypto transactions, prevention of QR-code frauds, and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the justice system have become urgent needs. Hence, lawyers must now become tech-savvy to handle such cases, said Dr. Harold D’costa, President of Cyber Security Corporation.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of a one-day seminar on “Legal Challenges in the Contemporary Era: Scholarly Perspectives for Lawyers and Lawmakers” organised by the School of Law, MIT Art, Design & Technology University. 

Also present were Amol Umaraniker, Vice President of BVG India, MIT-ADT University Provost Prof. Dr. Sayali Gankar, Dr. Ketaki Dalvi, Principal of Lokmanya Tilak Law College, Dr. Mohini Suryawanshi, and Prof. Dr. Govind Rajpal of the School of Law.

Pune: PMC Plans 300-Bed Modern Hospital At Taljai Hills, Activists Oppose Move

In his keynote, Dr. D’costa said, “Incidents of email misuse, QR-code frauds, unauthorised online sales, and crimes involving crypto and KYC have been rising sharply. Strong enforcement of laws is crucial to prevent financial fraud. Lawyers, police officers, and students must study how to collect digital evidence and learn cyber forensics.”

He also cautioned that excessive use of technology could negatively impact mental health, making balance essential.

MIT-ADT University Provost Dr. Gankar added, “AI will certainly aid justice delivery, but the soul of judgment will always rest in human conscience.”

Pune VIDEO: Ganpati Visarjan Processions, Eid Celebrations Cause Noise, Traffic Woes In Hadapsar

The second session of the seminar, on “Balancing Constitutional Principles with Social Change,” featured experts including former Maharashtra government official Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Advocate Vibhakar Ramatirthkar, Dr. Deepti Lele, Advocate Vishwas Kharabe, Advocate Yogesh Pawar, and Advocate Mangesh Kharabe. They shared insights on courtroom practices and the importance of studying constitutional developments with the participating students.

Technology a Must in Legal Education: Dr. Gankar

Dr. Gankar further said, “Integrating technology and ethics into legal education is the need of the hour. To address this, MIT-ADT School of Law has introduced courses like BBA LLB (Integrated), LLM, and LLB, as well as a Diploma in Labour Welfare, embedding subjects such as modern technology, cyber security, forensics, and AI tools. These programs are designed to benefit working professionals like HR managers, IT professionals, doctors, and entrepreneurs to keep pace with evolving technology.” She urged students to enrol in such programs to stay aligned with technological change.