Supreme Court puts Judges' appointment process, asset details online for public

New Delhi, May 6: In a step towards transparency in the judiciary, the Supreme Court of India announced that it has made public the entire process of judicial appointments to the High Courts and the Supreme Court.

The move, widely seen as a push for greater accountability, includes the publication of collegium decisions, government inputs, and personal disclosures of judges, reports Bar & Bench.

The Court has uploaded on its official website comprehensive details on the appointment process, including the roles played by the High Court Collegium, the State and Central governments, and final deliberations by the Supreme Court Collegium.

The decision, the apex court said in a press release, is intended "for the knowledge and awareness of the public."

The Court has released detailed information on all recommendations for High Court judges made by the Supreme Court Collegium between November 9, 2022, and May 5, 2025. This includes the names of the candidates, their parent High Court, whether they come from the Bar or judicial service, dates of recommendation and appointment, and whether the individual belongs to any special category such as SC, ST, OBC, minority, or woman.

The database also discloses if any of the recommended individuals are related to sitting or retired judges of the High Courts or the Supreme Court, an issue that has often raised concerns of nepotism in judicial appointments.

Additionally, the top court stated that it has begun uploading the statements of assets of its own judges, following a decision of the Full Court on April 1, 2025. “Statements of assets of judges already received are being uploaded. Statements of assets of other judges will be uploaded as and when the current statements are received,” the Court said.

Legal observers have hailed the decision as a major stride towards institutional transparency. However, some have cautioned that meaningful reform would still require greater structural change to the opaque collegium system.