IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST Essays on Public interest litigation has emerged ds one of the most significant legal ideas in recent years. It has affected in a fundamental manner, the way the legal community thinks and feels about the law. It has involved, among other tilings, a critical re examination of some basic features of our legal systems. It has also reinforced our conviction in the capacity of law to act as an instrument of social change. Tflis book contains three essays on public interest litigation and participatory justice. Tfie essays examine the evolution of public interest litigation in India, focusing on tlie case law tliat lias emerged out of the Indian Supreme Court.The essays also look at public interest litigation as an aspect of the democratic idea and explore ways of enhancing citizen participation in the institutions administering justice.Mario Gomez teaches laiv at the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka.