CJI’s Office Under RTI Act: SC Balances Transparency with Judicial Independence

Central Public Information Officer Vs Subhash Chandra Agarwal (Supreme Court of India) In a landmark ruling that strengthened India’s transparency regime, the Supreme Court in Central Public Information Officer, Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal held that the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is a “public authority” within the meaning of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act). The decision, delivered by a Constitution Bench of five judges, clarified that judicial independence and transparency are not antagonistic but complementary constitutional values. The...