The Indian High Commission in London has condemned what it described as “indecorous” behaviour after the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant was interrupted during a lecture at Birckbeck, University of London. The incident took place during the CJI’s ongoing six day visit to the United Kingdom.
Chief Justice Kant was delivering a lecture on “Artificial Intelligence and International Law”, where he spoke about the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and its impact on justice, governance and international legal system.
According to the videos later circulated on social media, an audience member attempted to raise questions regarding dissent and democracy in India during the event. The exchange led to a brief disruption before the session continued. They also tried to question the Chief Justice on his recent "cockroach" remark.
In a particular video from the event circulated online a woman in the audience first referred to the CJI's remarks, then turned to the subject of dissent. "His Lordship made some very important points, I think, about the Indian track record of protecting democracy in the context of AI," she is seen asking in the clip.
"We now hear from a number of legal observers within the country as well as internationally that there's a great deal of concern about growing hostility to dissent within India. And it does seem that this hostility is somewhat reflected in His Lordship's speech and it's very well publicised.” she added.
The woman was then cut short by the moderator saying the questions did not relate to the topic.
"With all due respect, I'm so sorry, I would not be able to take up that question since the topic is concerning artificial intelligence and international law. So sorry. I'm extremely sorry, I'm extremely sorry. We'll have to cut it off," the moderator told the attendees.
The High Commission in London condemned the disruption.
Reacting to the incident, the High Commission of India in London issued a statement criticizing the interruption and describing it as “indecorous audience behaviour.” The mission stressed that differences of opinion should be expressed through civil and respectful public discourse, particularly during academic and public events involving senior constitutional authorities.
The incident gained wider attention after clips of the exchange were shared online and sparked discussions on social media. The event was part of the Chief Justice’s engagements in the United Kingdom aimed at discussing emerging legal and technological issues, including the growing role of artificial intelligence in the justice system.
The High Commission reiterated the importance of maintaining decorum and respectful dialogue at public events while expressing concerns over the disruption of the Chief Justice’s lecture.
