For the author, the greatest reward is when readers come for the mystery but leave with a deeper understanding of the law and its principles.
New Delhi: For Medha Pushkarna, writing The Great Trial: It Is Not Over Yet… Animal World vs Mankind was not simply about creating a courtroom drama. It was about exploring the meaning of justice, questioning humanity’s relationship with the animal world, and making the principles of law accessible to readers through an engaging fictional narrative.
The third and, for now, final instalment in her trilogy, published by Law and Justice Publishing Co., takes readers into an extraordinary courtroom in the Court of the Devas, where a murder mystery unfolds through cross-examination, legal reasoning and questions of accountability. At its heart lies a compelling question: can humanity justify its treatment of the animal world when confronted with the principles of justice?
For Pushkarna, the book represents the culmination of a writing journey that began with War on Earth and continued with Corona Summoned to Court. Across the trilogy, she has brought together mythology, fiction and legal thought, using the courtroom as a space to examine human behaviour, morality and responsibility.
Reflecting on the experience of writing the books, Pushkarna acknowledges that the process demanded considerable effort, patience and persistence.
“The journey was exhausting, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately empowering,” she says.
One of her biggest challenges was finding the right balance between legal accuracy and storytelling. Rather than allowing legal principles to interrupt the narrative or turn the book into an academic exercise, she wanted them to emerge naturally through the characters, the mystery and the courtroom proceedings.
“My greatest challenge was to make the law part of the story rather than a lesson interrupting it,” she explains.
That creative decision lies at the heart of her approach as a writer. While readers may initially be drawn to the book by the murder mystery and the unusual setting of a divine courtroom, Pushkarna hopes they will discover something more meaningful along the way: a better understanding of how the law works and the principles that underpin justice.
“If someone I have never met finishes a murder mystery having unknowingly learned a few principles of law, I cannot imagine a more satisfying reward for the years spent writing these books,” she says.
It is this connection between entertainment and learning that distinguishes The Great Trial. The legal elements are not merely devices to move the plot forward; they form an integral part of the book’s exploration of justice. Through courtroom exchanges and the unfolding mystery, readers are encouraged to consider questions that extend beyond the fictional case, particularly humanity’s responsibility towards the animal world.
The trilogy’s emotional dimension has also been central to Pushkarna’s vision. In 2023, Delhi Times quoted her describing the emotional landscape of the series as involving “layers of love, hatred, anger, and betrayal” in humanity’s struggle against the animal world. These competing emotions add depth to a narrative that seeks to examine not just the question of guilt, but the wider moral implications of human choices.
The experience of writing the trilogy has also coincided with Pushkarna’s development as a legal professional. Now practising at the Supreme Court of India, she works on matters involving constitutional challenges and criminal appeals. She has also completed an MPhil in Criminology at the University of Cambridge and published research on juvenile brain development and the law.
Yet, for the author, the significance of her books goes beyond professional milestones. The real achievement lies in bringing complex legal ideas to readers who might not otherwise encounter them, without compromising the pace or appeal of a fictional mystery.
With The Great Trial: It Is Not Over Yet…, Pushkarna brings her trilogy to a compelling close, leaving readers with questions about justice, accountability and humanity’s place in the natural world. Her hope is that the story will stay with readers not only as a mystery they enjoyed, but also as an experience that quietly broadened their understanding of the law.
The book is available on Amazon, Kindle and Flipkart.