LIJDLR

THE EVOLUTION OF NATURAL JUSTICE IN DIGITAL GOVERNANCE: CHALLENGES IN AUTOMATED ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION-MAKING

C. Justin, MA, M.Phil., M.L., Research Scholar, (India)

The increasing integration of digital technologies into public administration has fundamentally transformed the manner in which governments deliver services and make administrative decisions. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics and algorithm-driven systems are now employed in areas such as taxation, welfare distribution, immigration, policing, recruitment and public service delivery. While these technological advancements have improved administrative efficiency and reduced human intervention, they have simultaneously raised significant concerns regarding transparency, accountability and procedural fairness. Decisions that were traditionally exercised through human discretion are increasingly being delegated to automated systems whose internal functioning often remains inaccessible to both administrators and affected individuals. The doctrine of natural justice has historically served as a fundamental safeguard against arbitrary administrative action. Principles such as audi alteram partem, the rule against bias and the requirement to provide reasoned decisions have evolved through judicial interpretation to ensure fairness in administrative governance. However, the emergence of automated decision-making presents new challenges that conventional administrative law was never designed to address. Algorithmic opacity, embedded bias, absence of meaningful human intervention and limited opportunities for review have created a complex legal landscape in which procedural safeguards may be substantially weakened. This paper critically examines the evolving relationship between natural justice and digital governance by analysing the implications of automated administrative decision-making. It evaluates the adequacy of existing legal principles in addressing algorithmic governance and explores comparative developments in the European Union, the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions. The study further examines the Indian constitutional and administrative law framework to determine whether present legal safeguards sufficiently protect procedural fairness in the digital era. The paper argues that the doctrine of natural justice must evolve beyond traditional procedural requirements to incorporate principles of algorithmic transparency, explainability and meaningful human oversight, thereby preserving the rule of law within increasingly digitalised systems of public administration.

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Research Paper LawFoyer International Journal of Doctrinal Legal Research (LIJDLR), Volume 4, Issue 3, Page 215–253.
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