Just saw this Madras High Court judgement from June 18,2026 and it’s a really strong statement on the whole AI vs human teacher debate . Very interesting to read.
So what happened was,the court set aside an older ruling . That ruling had allowed three students from a government law college to take their exams even when they didn't have the required 65% attendance.
And honestly,this is where things get uncomfortable for some people. The students were given permission to attend special summer classes to make up for it,but High Court found this whole arrangement problematic . They talked about fairness and academic standards.
The bench,with Justices S.M. Subramaniam and N . Senthilkumar,said something very powerful . They said that while AI can help in education,it can never replace a qualified teacher for moral and ethical lessons. Their exact words were,"AI may simulate human intelligence but cannot instill the integrity and moral values that are crucial to the legal profession."
Few things standing out clearly from their points:
- AI is a good tool but can't teach moral values needed for law profession .
- Classroom attendance is important because it teaches discipline and ethical understanding.
- Law has a big role in society,and students learn about justice and human rights in classroom discussions only.
And the judges also brought up a very real point about competition . They said students who get into law colleges through merit,especially those from tough backgrounds,need to appreciate the value of that education . Not small thing ah.
Justice Subramaniam also said that the dynamic discussions and debates in classrooms are where new legal ideas come from . This is what creates a generation of vibrant legal professionals. You can't get that from a machine.
So the court isn't saying technology is bad . They are just saying that online classes should support learning,not replace traditional classroom experience completely .
And tbh,this is such a big conversation rn . Everyone wants to move online,but for certain professions,is that really the best way?
It feels like we are all trying to figure out right balance between technology and the human touch in education . And for something as important as law,maybe human element is just not negotiable… what do you think?
