People at large expect plain insurance policies, plain tax forms, and plain health information.  Besides, there is a strong need for plain legal language to understand the Judgements from different courts, be it Trial Courts, High Court or Supreme Court which are running to hundreds and thousands of pages with a lot of Legal Jargons, etc.  The mammoth discussion papers and reports from Government Departments, Committees, Advisory Panels, etc.  make citizens’ life difficult, as the Reports are running to several hundred  pages.  It is really putting off even educated people, let alone ordinary citizen.  With the result, there is little feedback or comments from the people for whom these documents are written.

Why can’t various Laws, Judgements, Government Reports, etc., be brief, simple and in Plain English.

I am not sure if the Law Schools, as part of their Curriculum, teach Plain English or Plain Legal language.  I remember some years ago, the British Council in Chennai facilitated discussion and training on Plain English aimed at Legal community.

I am sure Plain English Campaign is already existing.  I wonder if Lawyers together with likeminded colleagues who are in discussion groups in various Social networks could take the Plain English Campaign to its logical end and ensure that the Law students at various law colleges and law schools are taught Plain legal language so that at least future generation will be dealing with simple, brief reports and judgements.  I hope Lawyers would not reject this suggestion saying that Plain Language is impossible because the law deals with complicated ideas that require a greater precision, which I think is a myth.

Like the Consumer movement, I think the Plain English Campaign should gain force.

I read recently, New Zealand, in some ways, has led the world in bringing the law closer to the ordinary citizen.