India’s new Chief Justice has overcome cultural hurdles to take his post at a momentous historical period for the country’s courts. Dominic Carman talks to India’s top judge about market liberalisation, his favourite UK judges and judicial reform

The first thing you notice about Konakuppakatil Balakrishnan, the Chief Justice of India, is his size: barely 5ft tall. But his diminutive stature is compensated for by a towering intellect.