NEW DELHI: In a unanimous decision, Supreme Court judges, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, have resolved to disclose their assets and liabilities online. The move comes in response to renewed scrutiny over the wealth of constitutional court judges following the alleged discovery of a large sum of cash at the official residence of High Court Justice Yashwant Varma on March 14.
CJI Khanna initially proposed the measure before the Supreme Court collegium—comprising Justices B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant, A.S. Oka, and Vikram Nath—before presenting it at a full court meeting on Tuesday. All judges agreed to make their financial disclosures public via the Supreme Court’s website. According to an official statement, 30 out of 33 sitting SC judges, including the CJI, have already declared their assets.
The practice of judicial asset disclosure began in 2009 but gradually faded after four to five years. Currently, two recently appointed judges—Justices K. Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi—have yet to submit their declarations. The Supreme Court has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, with one position currently vacant.
A court source told The Times of India that “the assets and liabilities statements, which judges mandatorily submit to the CJI in sealed covers, are expected to be uploaded on the SC website by the end of this month.”
The move echoes a similar resolution from August 2009, when, under then-CJI K.G. Balakrishnan, the Supreme Court decided to make judicial asset declarations publicly accessible. This decision was influenced by Karnataka High Court’s Justice Shylendra Kumar, who challenged CJI Balakrishnan’s opposition to public disclosures. However, the practice dwindled after a controversy arose over a judge listing “daughters’ marriage” as a financial liability, alongside concerns from judges with significant pre-bench legal earnings.
In 2019, a five-judge SC bench—including Justice Khanna—ruled that the Chief Justice’s office was a public authority under the RTI Act, reinforcing the judiciary’s commitment to transparency. Justice Khanna emphasized that judicial independence and openness should coexist, a sentiment later echoed by Justice N.V. Ramana, who became CJI in 2021.
The formal disclosure of assets and liabilities dates back to a Supreme Court resolution on May 7, 1997, which mandated that judges declare their real estate holdings and investments, including those held by spouses or dependents. Initially confidential, these disclosures were made public for the first time in 2009. Now, amid renewed demands for transparency, the practice is set to be revived—this time with a firm commitment to public accountability.
