All High Court Judges to declare their assets...ofcourse to CJ only!!!!!!

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan has asked the Chief Justices of all the High Courts to consider bringing forth a resolution, like the one adopted by the apex court a decade ago, to make judges declare their assets.

“The High Court may consider adopting similar resolution in case it does not have a system of judges declaring their assets soon after assumption of office and regularly updating the declaration made by them,” the CJI said in a recent letter to the CJs of High Courts.

Justice Balakrishnan in his letter, enclosed a copy of the May 7, 1997 resolution of the apex court titled ‘Restatement of Values of Judicial Life’.

The resolution adopted 11 years ago by the apex court said “Every judge should make a declaration of all his/her assets in the form of real estate or investments (held by him/her in his/her own name or in the name of his/her spouse or any person dependent on him/her) within a reasonable time of assuming office.”

Further, the judges should disclose within a reasonable time if any acquisition of substantial nature is made by them subsequent to the declaration.

The declaration made by the CJs and judges shall be confidential, the resolution maintained.

The CJI in his letter said as and when a new judge assumes charge, copies of these resolutions should be sent to him.

The resolution said a judge should not contest election to any office of a club, society or other association except those associated with law.