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All about Dr. Aparna Chandra’s New Book | Court on Trial: A Data-Driven Account of the Supreme Court of India

September 15, 2023

We congratulate our faculty member Dr. Aparna Chandra on her recent book, “Court on Trial: A Data-Driven Account of the Supreme Court of India.” The book is co-authored by Dr. Aparna Chandra, Sital Kalantry, and William H.J. Hubbard and published by Penguin Random House. In this book, the authors present a history of the 73-year-old Supreme Court of India which has been in constant discussion for some of its rulings.

Abstract

The Indian Supreme Court was established nearly seventy-five years ago as a core part of India’s constitutional project. Does the Court live up to the ideals of justice imagined by the framers of the Indian Constitution? Critics of the Supreme Court point out that it takes too long to adjudicate cases, a select group of senior advocates exercise disproportionate influence on the outcome of cases, the Chief Justice of India strategically assigns cases with an eye to outcome, and the self-appointments process-known as the collegium-is just another ‘old boy’s network’. Building on nearly a decade of original empirical research, this book examines these and other controversies plaguing the Supreme Court today. The authors provide an overview of the Supreme Court and its processes which are often shrouded in mystery, and present data-driven suggestions for improving the effectiveness and integrity of the Court.

At a recent event at the Bangalore International Centre, Aparna discussed the key issues raised in the book, in conversation with Aditya Sondhi, Harish Narsappa and Samar Halarnkar.