The 81-member strong Allahabad High Court, the largest Bench in India, has passed a resolution not to disclose its judges' assets on the High Court's website. The High Court, which has an allotted strength of 160 Judges, with 79 posts lying vacant, took this decision in its last meeting.

Thus far, the Supreme Court and eight High Courts have agreed to publicly disclose their wealth. The Judges of the Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bombay, Kerala, Madras and Sikkim High Courts have passed resolutions to make the details of their wealth public.

The Allahabad judges are the first to publicly refuse to disclose their assets. Former Chief Justice of India V.N. Khare [pictured], speaking to the media, has criticized the judges for refusing to place information about their assets in the public domain. "It's a completely ill-advised move," he said. "The [judiciary] is based on the faith and confidence of the public. If you hide, you become a victim of suspicion. You become suspect."

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