Viraaj Akuthota

Viraaj Akuthota is a public interest litigator, activist, and data scientist who harnesses technology to bolster human rights and justice. Grounded in Third World Approaches to International Law, he develops legal technologies to enhance public litigation, promote governmental transparency, and increase access to justice.

He played a key role in launching the first class action against the Victorian Police for excessive force in protests, a move inspired by his direct activism at the involved protest. His human rights efforts, ranging from on-the-ground research on the Rohingya Genocide to providing legal aid for refugees and First Nations, highlights his experience in identifying issues on both societal and individual levels.

In the realm of legal tech, Viraaj has introduced tools like legal advice Chatbots and mobile apps, as well as automation for refugee applications. He is the architect of the first human-centered rights database focused on the European Court of Human Rights and is developing a tool to predict human rights violations, aiming to transform the exploration of legal information into a human-centered paradigm.