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Himanshi Dhawan | TNN
New Delhi: Information commissioners cannot speculate in shares, should
maintain a degree of ‘aloofness’ and should avoid close association with
non-government organizations.
These directions are part of the 16-point code of ethics drawn up by the
Central Information Commission for its members. The draft code will be
discussed in a full commission meeting on April 28. The code of ethics for
information commissioners is based on the ‘restatement of values of judicial
life’ — a code of conduct for the judiciary adopted at a full court meeting of
the SC in May 1997. The code has been drafted by chief information commissioner
Wajahat Habibullah. Refusing to divulge details of the code, Habibullah said,
“The code of ethics is in the draft stage. It will be discussed in the full
commission meeting on April 28 and then finalized.”
While the code does not address disclosure of assets, it lays down
principles by which the information commissioner must conduct himself/herself.
These include practising a degree of aloofness, not accepting gifts of
hospitality except from family members, close relatives and friends.
Oddly enough, a commissioner is expected to avoid close association with NGO
representatives and not speculate in shares.The step comes after the commission
in February decided that a code of ethics needed to be formulated for the CIC.
The code will be advisory in nature. Incidentally, the code remains silent on
disclosure of assets by commissioners. There has been considerable pressure on
the commission in recent months to make assets of its members public.
THE CODE
Thou shall not speculate in shares
Thou shall maintain a degree of ‘aloofness’
Thou shall avoid close association with NGOs
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