Syllabus: GS2/ Polity and Governance
Context
- Twenty-one Supreme Court judges, including the Chief Justice of India, have disclosed their financial assets and liabilities on the top court’s website.
Background
- Judicial accountability has long been a subject of debate in India, particularly in terms of financial disclosures and ethical standards.
- Unlike elected representatives or civil servants, judges are not legally mandated to publicly declare their assets.
- The current disclosure followed a resolution of the Full Court, aimed at promoting public trust in the judiciary.
Timeline of Key Developments
| Year | Event |
| 1997 | First Full Court Resolution under CJI J.S. Verma recommends asset declaration by judges to the Chief Justice. |
| 2009 | A Full Court resolved to allow voluntary disclosure of judges’ assets on the SC website. |
| 2009 | Delhi High Court held that such declarations are “information” under Section 2(f) of the RTI Act, 2005. |
| 2019 | The Constitution Bench ruled that the CJI is a “public authority” under the RTI Act and asset disclosure serves public interest without violating privacy. |
| 2025 | The Supreme Court begins publishing assets of sitting judges, including familial ties, proactively on its website. |
Significance of the asset declaration by SC
- Promotes Transparency: It reinforces the judiciary’s commitment to openness and ethical conduct.
- Builds Public Trust: It helps counter perceptions of judicial elitism or bias.
- Constitutional Morality: It aligns with values like integrity and responsibility enshrined in the Preamble and Part IV – Directive Principles of State Policy of Indian Constitution.
Need for Trust and Integrity in the Judiciary
- Judiciary as the Guardian of the Constitution: The judiciary plays a crucial role in upholding the Constitution, protecting fundamental rights, and ensuring checks and balances.
- Ensuring Accountability: Lack of integrity in judiciary can lead to judicial delays, or misuse of power undermining justice and promoting inequality. Public asset disclosure is a step to ensure accountability.
- Institutional Stability: In times of political instability or social unrest, the judiciary acts as a stabilising force. A trusted judiciary can resolve constitutional crises and reinforce national unity.
Concluding remarks
- Trust and integrity in the judiciary are the cornerstones of a just society. They ensure not just legal justice, but social stability, democratic strength, and the moral authority of the state.
- Transparency, ethical conduct, and institutional reforms are essential to nurture and sustain that trust.
Source: TH
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