Tags: New Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 24 : The Delhi High Court today observed that judges should not be treated like MPs, MLAs and other representatives of the people on the issue of asset declaration since such information about them may be misused.

"Public interest standard for the judiciary has to be different from other institutions. So judges have to be treated differently from people's representative on the issue (pertaining to declaration of assets)," Justice S Ravindra Bhat said.

He was responding to an RTI applicant who had contended that that Judges, like MPs and MLAs, should declare their assets.

The court said that judiciary should be liberated from all kinds of fear and personal informations of judges might be misused if divulged under Right to Information Act.

"Judges have to work according to law and without fear. For the proper functioning of judiciary it has to be liberated from all kinds of fear. Election Commission and other such institutions are vibrant because they are independent," Justice Bhat observed.

The RTI applicant who had sought information on judges assets, however, said that revealing of such information would not affect transparency and independence of judicial system. MORE

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Add to del.icio.us | digg this | Stumble It