All 33 judges of SC agree to publicly declare their assets

THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION TO MANDATE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE IS SEEN AS A STEP TOWARDS RESTORING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN JUDICIAL INTEGRITY

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI: All 33 sitting judges of the Supreme Court have unanimously agreed to disclose their assets publicly by publishing the details on the apex court's official website, marking a significant move towards greater transparency in the Indian judiciary.

The decision, taken at a full court meeting on April 1, marks a major shift from the existing practice, where asset declarations remained a matter of judges' discretion.

The resolution, which applies to both current and future judges, comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over opacity in the judiciary. The need for greater accountability has been underscored by recent controversies, most notably the alleged discovery of a large sum of cash at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma last month, while he served as a judge in the Delhi high court.

Justice Varma is currently facing an in-house inquiry and has been moved to his parent high court at Allahabad. The Supreme Court's decision to mandate public disclosure is seen as a step towards restoring public confidence in judicial integrity.