Moily supports CJI on judges’ assets

Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily virtually backed Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan on the issue of assets declaration by judges and said if judges were voluntarily disclosing their assets and 'wanting to become heroes, it is their wish'.

Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on Wednesday virtually backed Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan on the issue of assets declaration by judges and said if judges were voluntarily disclosing their assets and “wanting to become heroes, it is their wish”.

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“Balakrishnan has already made his views known on the issue. If the judges are voluntarily disclosing their assets and wanting to become heroes, it is their wish,” he said.

However, a legislation pertaining to the issue was already before Parliament, Moily said on the sidelines of inauguration of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Cell in Bangalore.

“The judges of the Supreme Court have to disclose their assets before the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court while the judges of the High Courts have to declare their assets before Chief Justice of High Courts”, Moily said.

Balakrishnan had said on Monday that a consensus was needed on disclosure of assets by Supreme Court judges to the Chief Justice of India. “Every High Court judge has got the freedom to declare assets. No problem on this.”

Justice Kumar had stirred a hornet’s nest by saying in a newspaper article that the CJI cannot speak on behalf of the entire judiciary on the issue.