The law should empower, not intimidate. Yet, the Indian legal system is characterised by complex legal documents filled with confusing jargon. To address this, in 2017 Vidhi embraced the Plain Language Movement by releasing theManual on Plain Language Drafting. This Manual provided a framework for evaluating common Indian drafting practices.
The exercise of drafting good laws must begin by reconceptualising the principles and process of drafting laws. Simplifying laws requires a broader perspective that goes beyond technical conventions and embraces the responsibility of effectively communicating the law. Building upon the 2017 Manual, Vidhi has incubated the SARAL Initiative, which aims to create a comprehensive, systematic, and structured approach for simple drafting in India.
Over the last two years, the SARAL Initiative has conducted the SARAL Survey: India’s first public facing survey to gather evidence on the issues with legalese and the benefits of SARAL drafting, SARAL Manual for laws: A plain language drafting manual for better laws, SARAL Private Instruments Manual: A set of guidelines for private legal documents, and SARAL Saathi-I: A companion handbooks utilising a simple FAQ format to address the most pressing queries relating to the Railways.
The SARAL Initiative is envisaged as a hub for coordinating action among relevant stakeholders, namely, the Legislature, the Private Sector and Academic Institutions. It aspires to become a platform to empower collectivising action to simplify legal documents.