The Importance of Professional Ethics for a Judge

Professional ethics are significant for a judge.

Being a judge is a position of great responsibility. Judges must show they are capable and reputable in a court of law whether they are elected or appointed. Judges must also have professional ethics. Ethics govern how a judge behaves and carries himself, as he is supposed to be impartial throughout the performance of his duties.

Fairness

If you were in front of a judge, someone whose decision could have grave implications on the rest of your life, you would want to be confident the judge would treat you fairly. A professional and ethical judge will treat all persons who enter his courtroom with fairness because the law holds that defendants are innocent until proven guilty. If a person feels he is being unfairly treated by the judge, he may file a complaint with the state's judicial branch.

Guidance

Professional ethics provides guidance to judges to make proper and necessary decisions. Professional ethics provides structure for behavior and conduct during judicial proceedings. This guidance also helps people who are not judges, such as lawyers and the general public. It allows people to understand what is expected of judges, in terms of behavior, conduct and performance.

Governance

A judge who exercises professional ethics submits to the requirements of governance. Governance defines expectations and powers available to a group or person. The position of a judge is one that carries much power, so professionally ethical judges honor "the judicial office as a public trust and strive to enhance and maintain confidence in our legal system," according to the Nebraska Code of Judicial Conduct. Without professional ethics, a judge could severely damage the public confidence bestowed on the judicial office.

Trust

Because judges carry so much power, plenty of trust is given to them to ensure judges make the right and best decisions, and these decisions impact people directly and even indirectly involved with an incident. A professionally ethical judge is someone whose integrity and trustworthiness is usually never questioned. A professionally ethical judge makes decisions based on facts and the situation at hand, rather than current or past relationships. A judge who may be compromised should remove herself from the situation and declare a conflict of interest.

References

• Nebraska Judicial Branch: Nebraska Code of Judicial Conduct; Dec. 31, 2010
• Council of Europe: Judicial Ethics: Developments, Challenges and Solutions. Moldova's Experience in Enforcing Ethics Standards for Judges
• Australia-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New South Wales: The Code of Judicial Ethics for Judges of the People's Republic of China; James Jacob Spigelman; July 16, 2002
• Workplacefairness: The Importance of Federal Judges