But what about retired chief justices of India? They too can help: There are as many as twenty of them still with us. If only these distinguished persons, in the light of their past experience, would come forward and suggest ways and means by which the entire legal and judicial system could be re-vamped and improved, the country would be greatly benefited. Let’s face it: Although the legal system has not “collapsed”, as one or two retired chief justices in the distant past had facilely predicted, it is certainly in need of some major repairs.

Optimist that I am, a few months ago I wrote a monograph which was published by Penguin called: India’s Legal System: Can it be Saved? It was meant primarily to stimulate discussion, debate and controversy which it has not; principally because it is the work of a practising lawyer, not of a judge. Believe me, people still look up to and respect judges in our country. The time has come for a collectivity of former chief justices of India acting in unison if possible (if not, even acting in groups) to make concrete suggestions, not in the form of desultory statements at workshops and seminars or in reports to be read by joint secretaries to government and then shelved, but directly to and through the media, which is a very powerful instrument of dissemination of information and views, as to what they believe should be done. We can then leave it to the media to stimulate public opinion, which in turn will pressurise the primarily minority governments both at the Centre and in the states to do the needful.

... contd.