All Supreme Court judges decide to disclose assets; here's why
What's the story
In a landmark step toward judicial transparency, all 33 sitting Supreme Court judges, including Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, have decided to declare their assets publicly.
The decision, which will also apply to future judges, was taken at a full court meeting on April 1.
However, the official resolution has yet to be uploaded.
Background
Move comes amid transparency concerns
The move to make asset details public comes amid growing concerns over transparency in the judiciary, especially after the controversy involving Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court.
He was transferred to Allahabad HC after burnt wads of cash were allegedly discovered from his house after a fire incident last month.
However, it was later clarified by the SC that his transfer wasn't related to it.
Updates
Asset disclosures to be updated regularly
As per the SC's official website, judges are bound to declare their assets when they join office and whenever any major acquisition takes place. This will also apply to the CJI.
The complete set of declarations would be uploaded after modalities for publication are finalized in due course.
Those who have submitted their asset declarations so far include Chief Justice Khanna, Justices Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, BV Nagarathna, Vikram Nath, and JK Maheshwari.
Historical context
Supreme Court's history of asset disclosures
The SC had initially agreed to make judges' assets public in 1997.
As per the resolution, every judge must declare to the Chief Justice all assets in the form of real estate or investments held in their names, their wives, or the names of anyone else who is dependent on them.
However, in 2009, the Supreme Court made this practice purely voluntary.