New Delhi, May 29
Vowing to make his five-year tenure an "era of holistic judicial reforms," Law Minister M Veerappa Moily today affirmed that the Congress-led government did not have "any vested interest" in protecting corrupt elements and would go for "mid-course correction" in the case of Bofors payoff accused Ottavio Quattrocchi, if necessary.

"After all, the government does not have any vested interest in protecting any one. Anbody found corrupt within the judiciary or otherwise should be punished quickly," Moily told reporters in response to a question on the proposed impeachment of tainted Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen.

The impeachment proceedings were already pending in the Rajya Sabha and the steps being taken following the recommendation of Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan were only a matter of detail, Moily clarified.

When a reporter put a question stating that he was sorry to point out the manner in which Moily's predecessor, HR Bhardwaj, had given a clean chit to Quattrocchi, the Italian businessman who was once close to the Gandhi family, the new law minister retorted: "There is nothing to be sorry about it. If any mid-course correction is needed, we will do it. Administration of justice is a dynamic process."

Moily was equally dismissive while replying to another query as to whether he planned to undo the wrongs of Bhardwaj.

"Mr Bhardwaj is a veteran. He has done yeoman service" to the legal system in the country and there was no question of going about legal reforms keeping in view some individuals.

On the ongoing controversy over the refusal of Supreme Court judges to make their assets public until it was legally made mandatory, Moily said the government would "definitely enact" a law in consultation with the judiciary.

The new minister said legal reforms would be aimed at dispensing speedy justice to all, particularly the "aam admi," the mascot of the Congress. His ministry would try to minimise pending cases, mainly by having a re-look at government cases as both the Centre and the states were the "biggest litigants."

The proposed reforms would be primarily "systemic" in nature without involving any amendments to the Constitution or the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). India was fortunate to have a "credible" judiciary and hard working judges, he said.

Asked about the stalled police reforms, a pre-requisite for bringing about positive changes in the dispensation of justice, he said he would discuss it with the Home Minister.

To a query on electoral reforms, which was pending with his ministry, he said it was "also on top of the agenda," pointing out that he had already dealt with all this as Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission.

His ministry would come out within a week the targets that would be achieved in the first 100 days of being in office. "Challenges are aplenty, but solutions are simple," he remarked.