Supreme Court Judges to Publicly Declare Assets

On 1st April 2025, all judges of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice of India, resolved to publicly declare their assets—marking a major step towards transparency in the judiciary.

Key Points

Restatement of Judicial Values: The decision reaffirms the 1997 Restatement of Values of Judicial Life, a 16-point ethical code emphasizing accountability, impartiality, and integrity.
Ethical Guidelines: Judges must steer clear of actions that erode public faith, avoid close ties with lawyers, and refrain from political commentary or speculative investments.
Asset Declaration Norms: Judges are to declare all real estate and investments to the Chief Justice upon assuming office; though once confidential, these declarations will now be public.
In-House Inquiry Mechanism: A 1999 procedure allows internal action against judges whose behaviour contradicts judicial values—bridging the gap between bad conduct and impeachable offenses.
Recent Trigger: CJI Sanjiv Khanna invoked the in-house procedure to initiate an inquiry against Justice Yashwant Varma, reinforcing the framework for ethical oversight.