New Delhi: After months of debate that rocket the judiciary, there's a landmark judgement. The Supreme Court judges have decided to make their assets public. The details of their assets will be available on the Supreme Court website.
Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily has welcomed the judges' decision to make assets public, saying that 'judges are the best judges'.
NDTV has learnt that judges of the Supreme Court met on Wednesday evening and together agreed to make their assets public.
After a two-hour long meeting on Wednesday, the judges reached a consensus to declare their wealth on the Supreme Court website.
The debate on judges declaring their wealth has been on for a long time. A bill preventing judges from making their assets public had to be deferred in the last session of Parliament due to stiff opposition from MPs across parties.
Last week, Justice K Kannan of the Punjab and Haryana High Court made a beginning by making his assets public. More judges were expected to follow suit.
Some felt judges making their assets public could lead to their harassment by litigants.
"Majority of judges are in favour of declaring assets. I think 90 per cent are in favour, and those who are not in favour feel they may be harassed people, might say they have taken bribe in this case or that case," said Justice V N Khare, former chief justice of India.
Now will this step by the Supreme Court judges prompt High Court and other lower court judges to make their assets public?