Assets of SC judges to be on website in a month or more: CJI

New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) The Chief Justice of India K G
Balakrishnan Friday said Supreme Court judges would make their
assets public on the official website in a month or more but
suggested the judges of High Courts cannot be compelled by the
apex judiciary to follow suit.

"It is a unanimous a decision and every judge of the
Supreme Court will disclose his assets," the CJI told media
persons in an interaction in reply to a question about
apprehsions that any apex court judge might decline to adhere
to the decision.

He said the judges of the apex court have been
following the 1997 resolution on declaration of their assets
and they have submitted the statement of assets to the Chief
Justice.

"We are strictly following the 1997 resolution. The
only thing is that we are not disclosing it to the public. Now
because of the changed circumstances, we will put it on the
website," Balakrishnan said.

The declaration of assets will take sometime as it has
not been updated and the judges want sometime to update it.

"I am giving sometime to get it (statement of assets)
as some of them have not been updated after 2002-03 and judges
want to update them," he said adding the declaration of the
assets on the website will be according to the resolution of
1997.

He said the disclosure would be strictly in accordance
with the 1997 resolution and the assets relating to real
estate and investments made even in the name of dependents
would be put on the website.


Asked about the format and the time frame in which
information pertaining to assets would be put on the website,
Balakrishnan said "we have not taken any decision about the
format which will be applied for declaring the assets. It will
take some time. The whole procedure would take a month or
more."

Asked whether the queries would be entertained on the
issue, the CJI said "we have not decided anything on the
issues".

Balakrishnan said though the judges of the apex court
has decided to make public their assets, they would abide by
if any law is made by Parliament for declaration of assets.

"It is for Parliament to decide. If any law is
enacted, we have to follow it. We will abide by that," he
replied in response to a question that Law Minister M Veerapa
Moily, while welcoming the decision, had yesterday said that
despite the decision government will enact a legislation.

Asked what made the judges of the apex court to she
fear about declaration of their assets, the CJI said "who said
we have shed the fear?... it will depend upon the reaction of
the people".

To a question if any advisory would be sent to High
Court judges to make their assets public, the Chief Justice
said the apex court doesn't have administrative
control over the High Court.

He said even the 1997 resolution was not adopted by
many High Courts.

However, the CJI said "I think that some of the High
Courts will follow us." PTI RB
DDC


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