Legal profession

[Sanjeev Sabhlok <sabhlok@almaak.usc.edu>]

Subject: India News Network Digest    Wed, 15  April  98
#4. Legal profession has become a racket: Sorabjee

New Delhi: Attorney General Soli Sorabjee on Tuesday regretted that the
tradition of legal profession to provide service to the people has been
forgotten and it has become a commercial racket. 

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Comment:

The direct consequence of our many controls and laws is clearly coming
out. More the laws, more the needless procedures, more are the "cases" 
generated and more is the need for lawyers. On the one hand we have this
huge demand for litigation in the number of cases; on the other hand, we
have this huge shortage of judges. Why do we expect lawyers alone to
behave in the public interest in such a case? When the whole system right
from our Prime Minister downward has often been characterized by
corruption, why single out lawyers? Systemic problems need systemic
solutions. 

The problem is essentially economic (anything to do with money is always
economic). One clear economic solution: Let the judges be paid very
highly, and let us have tens of times as many judges as we have now. Get
rid of our backlogs till we can safely dispose off most new cases within a
few months. Simultaneously (and more importantly) let us identify those
laws which can safely be got rid of (or converted into "desired codes of
conduct" which are not enforceable in the courts). [suggestions welcomed
on specific laws/ sections, to be made part of the Agenda]

Also, government needs to set up internet web sites which detail all our
laws and provide appropriate intelligent tools to enable people to
understand how various laws apply to them. 

I have not spent too much time on this topic of legal reform. Would
particularly welcome views on how the problem can be solved without
reducing the quality of justice.

Thanks,

Sanjeev