Dear Readers,

The recent debate on the declaration of judges assets is only getting more contentious, indicative of the pressure on the judiciary to submit to greater accountability. However, by itself the declaration of assets can only serve in a small way in reducing corrupt practices.

According to a 2007 survey by Transparency International , 77 per cent of Indians see the judiciary as corrupt .
As Christians in the legal profession, what should our response be. The first would undoubtedly be to subject ourselves to scrutiny. This could be in the form of a law which provides good and just procedure for the removal of corrupt judicial officers yet ensures that the process is not open to misuse.

The Judges (Inquiry) Bill, 2008  which is slated to be introduced in the next session of Parliament aims at doing just that. However, critics of the bill point out the numerous inadequacies of the proposed law.

CLA invites you to reflect on the measures to improve accountability within the legal fraternity.

One of the ways we love our neighbor is by helping to shape the political decisions that help or harm them. But it is crucial that we understand the many ways we shape politics beyond voting for candidates.

• Just being the church. The first way Christians should influence politics is by being a living model of Jesus’ dawning kingdom. When the church simply lives out a visible model of transformed social, racial, and economic relations, it profoundly influences society.
• Prayer. Karl Barth once said that prayer is the church’s most important contribution to political life. The Bible calls us to pray for our political leaders. 
• Shaping culture. To a great extent, broad cultural assumptions determine what is politically possible. Abraham Lincoln allegedly told the clergy of his day that “the church sets the boundaries within which politics has to function.” Christians help shape the cultural norms in society first by their common life, then by their ideas, writings, and artistic productions.