The decision to declare assets is a big victory. Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan tells SHOMA CHAUDHURY what else is rotting in our judiciary It’s great judges have agreed to declare assets. But will it really help? Politicians do it too.

Let me begin by commending Justice S. Ravindra Bhat of the Delhi high court for his excellent judgment of September 2, 2009 in the judges’ assets case, the quality of which would do credit to anyone at the highest level in the judicial hierarchy.

These past weeks have been difficult times for the Supreme Court, particularly the Chief Justice of India (CJI), over making public the details of judges’ assets. Reacting to the CJI’s statements rejecting such disclosure, Justice D.V. Shylendra Kumar of the Karnataka High Court wrote a

I AM AN insipid person to talk to and no celebrity to deserve a feature. My website gives you a glimpse of my interests and my High Court website has some placid news about me.

The power of three against one: that’s how the battle of their lordships, India’s chief justices past and present, has panned out over the ongoing row over the judiciary making their assets public.