As Attorney General, what will your priorities be?

There are many. The Prime Minister has made it very clear he wants to address the issue of judicial reforms on a war footing. He rightly feels that not a single citizen should be denied effective justice. So there are lots of ideas and I am sure we will be able to give shape to a majority of them within six months.

Will there be any new initiatives?

The Law Minister, for instance, has already spoken about how the Government itself

has become the biggest litigant and thus, Government versus citizen litigation must be reduced. As Solicitor General, I was a member of the Supreme Court’s arrears

committee and there are several ways in which arrears can be brought down. Also, the Prime Minister has assured me that resources will not be a constraint. This Government clearly means business and since he was heading the Administrative Reforms Commission, the Law Minister himself understands the functioning of the Government very well.

You are taking over at a time when certain live issues are being widely debated—for instance, the declaration of assets by the judiciary. Let me tell you what judges feel on this issue. Instead of an informal resolution on the subject, they want a well-drafted legislation in place. It should make clear what the format for disclosures will be; what is the precise definition of assets; what protection will be given to the disclosures; the periodicity of disclosures and so on. So, what the judiciary is stressing on is having a suitable piece of legislation.

... contd.