Article 11p. 11

LEGAL AND JUDICIAL ETHICS CODES, CANONS AND RULES

signed by all parties and lawyers, shall be incorporated in

the record of the proceedings.

CANON 4 Propriety

Propriety and the appearance of propriety are essential to

the performance of all the activities of a judge.

SECTION

1.

Judges

shall

avoid

impropriety and the

appearance of impropriety in all of their activities.

SECTION 2. As a subject of constant public scrutiny,

judges must accept personal restrictions that might be

viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen and should

do so freely and willingly. In particular, judges conduct

themselves in a way that is consistent with the dignity of

the judicial office.

SECTION 3. Judges shall, in their personal relations with

individual members of the legal profession who practice

regularly in their court, avoid situations which might

reasonably give rise to the suspicion or appearance of

favoritism or partiality.

SECTION

4.

Judges

shall

not

participate

in

the

determination of a case in which any member of their

family represents a litigant or is associated in any manner

with the case.

SECTION 5. Judges shall not allow the use of their

residence by a member of the legal profession to receive

clients of the latter or of other members of the legal

profession.

SECTION 6. Judges, like any other citizen, are entitled to

freedom of expression, belief, association and assembly,

but in exercising such rights, they shall always conduct

themselves in such a manner as to preserve the dignity of

the judicial office and the impartiality and independence

of the judiciary.

SECTION 7. Judges shall inform themselves about their

personal fiduciary financial interests and shall make

reasonable efforts to be informed about the financial

interests of members of their family.

SECTION 8. Judges shall not use or lend the prestige of

the judicial office to advance their private interests, or

those of a member of their family or of anyone else, nor

shall

they

convey

or

permit

others

to

convey

the

impression that anyone is in a special position improperly

to influence them in the performance of judicial duties.

SECTION 9. Confidential information acquired by judges

in their judicial capacity shall not be used or disclosed by

for any other purpose related to their judicial duties.

SECTION 10. Subject to the proper performance of judicial

duties, judges may:

(a) Write, lecture, teach and participate in activities

concerning the law, the legal system, the administration

of justice or related matters;

(b) Appear at a public hearing before an official body

concerned with matters relating to the law, the legal

system, the administration of justice or related matters;

(c) Engage in other activities if such activities do not

detract from the dignity of the judicial office or otherwise

interfere with the performance of judicial duties.

SECTION 11. Judges shall not practice law whilst the

holder of judicial office.

SECTION 12. Judges may form or join associations of

judges or participate in other organizations representing

the interests of judges.

SECTION 13. Judges and members of their families shall

neither ask for, nor accept, any gift, bequest, loan or favor

in relation to anything done or to be done or omitted to

be

done

by

him

or

her

in

connection

with

the

performance of judicial duties.

SECTION 14. Judges shall not knowingly permit court staff

or others subject to their influence, direction or authority,

to ask for, or accept, any gift, bequest, loan or favor in

relation to anything done or to be done or omitted to be

done in connection with their duties or functions.

SECTION 15. Subject to law and to any legal requirements

of public disclosure, judges may receive a token gift,

award or benefit as appropriate to the occasion on which

it is made provided that such gift, award or benefit might

not reasonably be perceived as intended to influence the

judge in the performance of judicial duties or otherwise

give rise to an appearance of partiality.

CANON 5 Equality

Ensuring equality of treatment to all before the courts is

essential to the due performance of the judicial office.

SECTION 1. Judges shall be aware of, and understand,

diversity in society and differences arising from various

sources, including but not limited to race, color, sex,

religion, national origin, caste, disability, age, marital

status, sexual orientation, social and economic status and

other like causes.

SECTION 2. Judges shall not, in the performance of

judicial duties, by words or conduct, manifest bias or

prejudice towards any person or group on irrelevant

grounds.

SECTION 3. Judges shall carry out judicial duties with

appropriate consideration for all persons, such as the

parties,

witnesses,

lawyers,

court

staff

and

judicial

colleagues,

without

differentiation

on

any

irrelevant

ground, immaterial to the proper performance of such

duties.

SECTION 4. Judges shall not knowingly permit court staff

or others subject to his or her influence, direction or

control to differentiate between persons concerned, in a

matter before the judge on any irrelevant ground.

SECTION 5. Judges shall require lawyers in proceedings

before the court to refrain from manifesting, by words or

conduct, bias or prejudice based on irrelevant grounds,

except

such

as

are

legally

relevant

to

an

issue in

proceedings

and

may

be

the

subject

of legitimate

advocacy.

CANON 6 Competence and Diligence

Competence and diligence are prerequisites to the due

performance of judicial office.

SECTION 1. The judicial duties of a judge take precedence

over all other activities.

SECTION 2. Judges shall devote their professional activity

to judicial duties, which include not only the performance

of judicial functions and responsibilities in court and the

making of decisions, but also other tasks relevant to the

judicial office or the court's operations.

SECTION

3.

Judges

shall

take

reasonable

steps

to

maintain

and

enhance

their

knowledge,

skills

and

personal qualities necessary for the proper performance

of judicial duties, taking advantage for this purpose of the

training

and

other

facilities which should be made

available, under judicial control, to judges.

SECTION 4. Judges shall keep themselves informed about

relevant developments of international law, including

international

conventions

and

other

instruments

establishing human rights norms.

SECTION

5.

Judges

shall perform all judicial duties,

including the delivery of reserved decisions, efficiently,

fairly and with reasonable promptness.

SECTION 6. Judges shall maintain order and decorum in

all proceedings before the court and be patient, dignified

and courteous in relation to litigants, witnesses, lawyers

and others with whom the judge deals in an official

capacity. Judges shall require similar conduct of legal

representatives, court staff and others subject to their

influence, direction or control.

© Compiled By RGL

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