SC Judges declaring assets excellent gesture: Moily
New Delhi: Law Minister M Veerappa Moily
today termed as "an excellent gesture" the decision of Supreme
Court judges to declare their assets in public and said this
proved the integrity of Indian judiciary was the "highest".
"It is not their (judiciary) intention to hide
anything. But there are some issues. Even then, making it
(assets) available to public is an excellent gesture on the
part of the judiciary," Moily told news agencies.
He said the move proved the integrity of the judiciary
was the "highest" and they would like to keep it up.
Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan and 20 other
judges of the Supreme Court today made public their assets by
putting it on the website of the apex court.
The government was forced to defer the Judges
(Declaration of Assets and Liabilities) Bill, 2009, earlier
this year in Rajya Sabha after the Opposition took strong
objection to a provision in the Bill which states that High
Court and Supreme Court Judges would declare their assets but
the same would not be made public.
The judiciary "cannot be kept in the same room with
politicians and bureaucrats. They cannot hold a press
conference like politicians if something is said about them,"
Moily had said earlier claiming frivolous applications by
people unhappy with certain judgements could be filed under
RTI Act.
Bureau Report