Delhi Court Includes Chief Justice Office Under Information Act

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Jan. 12 – The Delhi High Court will uphold its bench order that includes the office of the Chief Justice of India within the scope of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and requires judges to declare their assets.

The bench made up of Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justices S. Muralidhar and Vikramjeet Sen told Zee News: “RTI has over-reaching impact. Citizens who require such information should not misuse the information, thus saving the independence of (the) judiciary.”

The Chief Justice of India’s office is considered a public authority therefore included under the purview of the RTI. The judgement is considered groundbreaking for being a step towards improved transparency in the judicial system.

Senior Supreme Court  lawyer Prashant Bhushan was quoted by Zee News as saying: “This is a historic verdict, it will enhance the stature of judiciary in the eyes of people of India.”

He added: “It’s a ‘bold decision’ on a highly sensitive issue but it was legally and constitutionally correct, where for the first time a decision has been given against the superior court.”