Punjab and Haryana HC asks ChatGPT about bail when assault is laced with cruelty. Here's what it said
ChatGPT was used by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to get a global view of the law regarding a bail application made by an accused in a murder case.
Ankush Pandey
The artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT was used by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to get quick references and a worldview on the jurisprudence for a bail application made by an accused in a murder case.
The high court seat headed by Equity Anoop Chitkara was hearing the bail application moved by one Jaswinder Singh, who has a criminal history and was charged in a homicide case. For rioting, criminal intimidation, murder, and criminal conspiracy, Singh was detained in June 2020.
When the assault is laced with cruelty, Justice Anoop Chitkara asked the AI-powered chatbot to evaluate the global consensus regarding bail.
"The jurisprudence on bail for cases where the assailants have been assaulted with cruelty will depend on the particular circumstances of the case and the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction where the case is being tried," was the chatbot's response.
"Generally, if the assailants have been charged with a violent crime that involves cruelty, such as murder, aggravated assault, or torture, they may be considered a danger to the community and a flight risk," the chatbot continued. In such instances, the judge may be less likely to grant bail or may set a very high bail amount to guarantee that the defendant will appear in court and will not pose a threat to public safety."
The chatbot stated that all defendants are entitled to bail and that the presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of the legal system.
"A judge will take into consideration the severity of the assault, the defendant's criminal history, and the strength of the evidence against them when deciding whether to grant bail. It is essential to keep in mind that a fundamental tenet of the legal system is the presumption of innocence, and all defendants are entitled to bail unless there are compelling reasons not to. Therefore, if the judge determines that the assailants do not pose a risk to the community or a flight risk, they may still be granted bail even in cases where the assailants have been brutally attacked," ChatGPT responded to Justice Chitkara's inquiry.
The high court bench accessed ChatGPT, but its references were not taken into account as an opinion.
The bench also made the observation that the ChatGPT references were only consulted to obtain a more comprehensive picture of bail jurisprudence in the event that the accused was denied bail due to cruelty.
According to the bench's observation, "the impact of individuals who act with cruelty is devastating not only for those on whom the direct harm and pain is inflicted but also on a systemic level."
In addition, the bench stated that cruel individuals sustain larger social problems like gender, economic, and social inequality.
"Once the court forms a prima facie opinion that the accused acted with cruelty, then such an accused ordinarily should not be granted bail," Justice Anoop Chitkara said while denying the accused bail. "If the courts still deem it appropriate to grant, then it must be after specifying the reasons for such an indulgence."
