Numbers. You wouldn’t think that we lawyers have much to do with them. You’d be surprised. As an Indian lawyer, I can safely say there is a string of numbers drilled so deep into my brain, I couldn’t forget them if I tried. They are an odd jumble of facts and figures. Sometimes they are years, for instance 1872 – the year the Indian Contract Act came into existence.

In the initial stages of our work, we decided to work towards a comprehensive report on the state of the judiciary in India. For this we invited a range of lawyers, academics and experts in public policy for a consultation.

In the initial stages of our work, we decided to work towards a comprehensive report on the state of the judiciary in India. For this we invited a range of lawyers, academics and experts in public policy for a consultation.

Twenty four states, two thousand five hundred and fifty three unique values, all to be sorted into a 290 x 24 matrix. This was the December that Shiva and I faced.