The learned judge should explain what is meant by " wrong message".
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No need for judges to declare assets - CJI

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Thursday said there was no need to put the assets of judges in public domain as it would send a ''wrong message'' to litigants.

“Judges do declare their assets at the time of taking oath. All their details are with the registrar. There is no need for the assets to be disclosed before the public as that would send a wrong message to litigants,” Justice Balakrishnan told CNN-IBN news channel. He was responding to a question regarding Law Minister M Veerappa Moily’s call for disclosure of judges’ assets to the public. The minister had last week said that the government would soon bring a bill to make it mandatory for the judges of SC and high courts to declare their assets.

On June 4, Moily had said the judiciary has to come out with an answer to the issue of disclosure of assets by judges as no public authority can claim it is not accountable to the society. The appeal filed by the SC registry against an order of the Central Information Commission holding that judges were liable to declare their assets has been reserved for judgement before the Delhi High Court.

At the time of taking office, they may declare their assets. But they are sitting as judges for maybe 10, 20 years. Their assets and the asset values are not going to remain static.
So judges should be made accountable and answerable.