You're listening to a podcast from the BBC World Service.

This is Hard Talk with me, Stephen Sacker.

Thanks for downloading this edition of the program.

I do hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to Hard Talk on the BBC World Service with me, Stephen Sacker.

My guest today was until March 2017, one of the most powerful federal prosecutors in the

United States. Preet Barara was U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, handling

major federal investigations into organized crime, dodgy dealing on Wall Street, and

international terrorism when new president Donald Trump

fired him, having earlier promised to keep him in post. For the last two years, Barara has been

considering the nature of justice in America. Does the judicial system get to the truth and uphold the rule of law?

His book, Doing Justice, neatly coincided with the culmination of a two-year-long

special counsel investigation into the Trump White House and allegations of collusion

with the Russians in the 2016 presidential election.

The Mueller report is now out, but it hasn't settled the fierce dispute about whether Mr. Trump

committed crimes worthy of impeachment.

So, from top to bottom, is justice really being done in today's America?

Well, Prit Bharara joins me now. Welcome to Hard Talk.

Thanks for having me. You had a long and successful career as a federal prosecutor, so you're in a very good place to judge whether the American people are losing faith in their system of justice. Do you think they are?

I think some people are. I think we have a crisis of confidence in the rule of law, not just in the

United States, but I think in a lot of different places. I think you have institutions that are

under attack. I think sadly, some of that is coming from the mouth of the President of the United

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