Judges Come Clean: Supreme Court Leads with Full Asset Disclosure Mandate

By Sanjay Raman Sinha

In a landmark move to promote transparency and accountability within the judiciary, all 33 sitting judges of the Supreme Court have resolved to make their personal assets publicly available on the Court’s official website. The decision, which will also apply to future appointees, comes in the wake of the controversy surrounding the discovery of burnt currency notes at the official residence of Justice Yashwant Varma—an incident that has re-ignited public debate on judicial integrity and asset disclosure.

This is not the judiciary’s first attempt at self-regulation. The groundwork was laid as early as May 7, 1997, when then Chief Justice JS Verma and his fellow judges adopted a resolution urging judges to declare their assets—including those of spouses and dependents—to the chief justice. In 2009, the Delhi High Court followed with a similar resolution, and later that year, in response to multiple RTI requests, the Supreme Court resolved to make judges’ assets publicly accessible by October 31, 2009.

Yet, despite these well-intentioned steps, actual practice has remained patchy and inconsistent. The last update on the Sup­reme Court website occurred in March 2018, and until recently, only declarations from 55 former judges were available online.

As of September 2024, a mere 98 out of 749 High Court judges—just 13 percent—had voluntarily disclosed their assets. Most of these disclosures come from just three High Courts: Kerala (37 out of 39 judges), Punjab and Haryana (31 out of 55), and Delhi (11 out of 39).

Judicial asset declarations typically include a wide spectrum of financial information: movable and immovable property, investments in shares and mutual funds, fixed deposits, liabilities such as bank loans, and other high-value holdings like gold and jewellery. These disclosures aim to allow public scrutiny and foster trust in the judiciary’s integrity.

However, several High Courts have resisted transparency. The Allahabad and Bombay High Courts have ruled that asset declarations are not covered under the RTI Act. The Gujarat High Court stated there is no “public interest” in disclosing judges’ personal financial details. Courts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have treated these declarations as strictly confidential.

Such reluctance has undermined the principle of judicial openness and drawn criticism from lawmakers. In August 2023, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Law and Justice recommended enacting legislation to make asset disclosures mandatory for all judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

Internationally, countries like the United States already mandate financial disclosures by federal judges under the Ethics in Government Act, including gifts and outside income. India’s judicial system is catching up—but challenges remain.

The real blind spot in the current disclosure regime is not white money, which is already tracked through income tax filings. The greater concern lies in undisclosed or “benami” assets—black money concealed through third parties or shell entities. A mandatory disclosure resolution, while symbolically potent, cannot unearth hidden wealth without robust enforcement and ethical commitment.

At its core, the issue is one of moral character. Judges with a strong ethical compass are unlikely to compromise their integrity, regardless of monetary temptations. Ethics aren’t cultivated overnight—they are shaped by a supportive environment, sound mentorship, and values embedded during legal education.

At the recent Bharat Shiksha Summit 2025 hosted by APN News, Attorney General R Venkataramani stressed this very point.

In an impassioned plea to young legal minds, he said: “As law students, cherish values like liberty, innovation, and ethics to make a positive impact. Ask yourselves: how will your actions contribute to the greater good?”

The Supreme Court’s collective decision to publish its judges’ assets is a strong step in the right direction. But for this to lead to meaningful reform, it must be part of a broader cultural shift—where transparency is standard, not symbolic, and where ethics guide every facet of the judiciary’s functioning.

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