In a move aimed at enhancing judicial transparency, 30 sitting judges of the Supreme Court have agreed to publicly disclose their assets by publishing them on the court’s official website.
The decision was taken at a full court meeting on April 1 and will also apply to future judges. This marks a significant shift from previous practice, where asset declarations were mandatory only to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) but optional for public disclosure. However, the official resolution has not yet been uploaded.
The move comes in the wake of growing concerns over opacity in the judiciary, especially after a controversy surrounding the alleged discovery of burnt wads of cash at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma following a fire incident. He was transferred to the Allahabad High Court following the controversy. However, the Supreme Court later clarified that his transfer wasn’t related to the cash discovery row.
Previously, Supreme Court judges were required to declare their assets to the CJI as per a 1997 resolution. However, while a 2009 decision allowed for the voluntary publication of these declarations on the court’s website, not all judges opted to do so. With this latest resolution, the Supreme Court has collectively decided to make asset disclosures publicly accessible, reinforcing its commitment to accountability.
Among the judges who have already submitted their asset declarations are Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Justice BV Nagarathna, Justice Vikram Nath, and Justice JK Maheshwari. The full set of declarations will be uploaded to the Supreme Court’s website, with specific modalities for publication to be finalised in due course.
