The case for asset declarations in the judiciary: Identifying illicit enrichment and conflicts of interests

Abstract

Asset declarations serve in many countries as a tool for detecting and preventing illicit enrichment and conflicts of interests among public officials. However, not all countries with an asset declaration regime in place require members of the judiciary to make such declarations. A closer analysis shows that asset declaration regimes do not pose a significant risk to the independence and security of judges. On the contrary, the author finds that anti-corruption benefits provide strong reasons to require judges to file asset declarations along with other public officials.