Public Disclosure of Judges Assets | 03 Apr 2025

Source: IE 

The Supreme Court (SC) resolved that all its judges will publicly declare their assets to the CJI for publication on the court’s website, following the discovery of large sums of cash at a Delhi High Court judge's residence that reignited the debate on asset disclosure. 

• SC on Judges’ Asset Disclosure: 
  • Legal Status: Judges are not legally bound to disclose assets publicly. 
  • 1997 SC Resolution: Judges must declare assets to the CJI, but not publicly. 
  • 2009 SC Decision: Allowed voluntary asset disclosure on the SC website, but not mandatory. 
  • 2019 SC Ruling: Held that judges’ assets are not personal information, bringing them under RTI Act. 
• High Court Scenario: As of March 2025, only 97 out of 770 (13%) HC judges have publicly declared assets. 
  • Several HCs (Allahabad, Rajasthan, Bombay, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand) strongly opposed public disclosure and refused RTI requests on judges' assets. 
• Comparison with Other Public Servants: Rule 16(1) of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, mandates that civil servants must declare their assets annually. 
  • Asset disclosure was made mandatory for political candidates during elections (ADR v. UoI, 2002).  
  • MPs/MLAs are required to submit their declarations to the Speaker (Lok Sabha) or the Chairperson (Rajya Sabha), ensuring public access. 
  • Union Ministers are required to declare assets to the PMO with information often published online.