In a landmark move towards greater judicial transparency, all 33 sitting Supreme Court judges have resolved to make their financial assets publicly accessible on the court’s official website. This decision, adopted at a full court meeting on April 1, will also extend to all future appointees to the nation’s highest bench.
The move comes in response to growing concerns about opacity within the judiciary, particularly following allegations of a large cash seizure at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court. While the voluntary disclosure of assets had been an option for judges in the past, there was no binding requirement for them to do so.
The Supreme Court first took steps in this direction in 2009 when, under mounting public and internal pressure, it decided to publish asset details online. That decision itself was rooted in a 1997 resolution that required judges to disclose their assets to the Chief Justice of India. However, while disclosure to the CJI was mandatory, public access remained discretionary until now.
With this latest resolution, the Supreme Court has taken a decisive step toward reinforcing public trust in the judiciary, setting a precedent for transparency that could ripple across the legal landscape.
