'Differences Must Be Civil': Indian Mission Condemns Disruption at CJI Surya Kant's London Event

The Indian High Commission in London issued a statement Friday condemning a disruption at Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s lecture on *Artificial Intelligence and International Law* at Birkbeck, University of London. The event, held Thursday, included a lively discussion before an individual attempted to disrupt proceedings by raising an off-topic question about *growing hostility to dissent within India*, which the moderator halted. The High Commission called such behavior *indecorous* and inconsistent with respectful public discourse, stressing that *differences of opinion must be civil*. The incident followed videos showing a heated exchange over the interrupted question. During his address, Justice Kant noted that *technology’s impact depends on legal, political, and ethical frameworks*, and that law must ensure *technological power remains accountable to constitutional values, democratic legitimacy, and human dignity*. He is on a six-day UK visit, where he also delivered the inaugural speech at the Indian Council of Arbitration’s conference on *Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a Catalyst for Strengthening India-UK Economic Partnership*, urging *co-creation* over comparison between the two nations.