SC Judges declaring assets excellent gesture: Moily

Law Minister M Veerappa Moily 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".

Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on Monday 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".

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"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 PTI.

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 on Monday 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.