New Delhi: Several eminent jurists and
rights activists on Friday demanded that the proposed bill on
declaration of assets by judges should have provision of
public disclosure of assets to make it more transparent.
Details of the proposed bill (as reported by the media)
provide for disclosure of assets by judges only to their
respective chief justices and not to the public.
"Unless declaration of assets of judges or other public
servants are made known to the public, such declarations will
not serve any purpose," Campaign for Judicial Accountability
and Reform, comprising several eminent jurists and rights
activists, said in a statement here.
According to the rights body, only vigilant citizenry
will be able to point out "unusual acceleration to a judge`s
assets or false declaration of assets by a judge".
It said the three reasons given by the judges to keep the
declaration away from public domain are not strong enough
reasons to justify the proposed "secrecy".
The reasons, the statement claimed, are: disgruntled
litigants will misuse the disclosures to indulge in
mudslinging against judges; the judges cannot defend
themselves unlike politicians; and there are no clear rules
and formats for disclosure.
"Only a public and annual declaration of assets as is
done by all federal judges of the US, including of the U S
Supreme Court, would ensure that the objective of transparency
through this proposed bill," the statement signed by eminent
jurists Fali S Nariman, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan,
former Naval Chief Admiral R H Tahiliani and others added.
It said the bill should be finalised after "effective
consultation" with civil society.
Bureau Report
