Download the document
"x x x.
SUMMARY
Corruption in the judiciary seriously impedes effective prosecution of corruption cases – denying the accused and victims the right to a fair and impartial trial, fuelling impunity, and undermining the rule of law.
Many countries have set out standards of ethical conduct to be expected by judges in codes of conduct that have been developed as a tool to strengthen judicial integrity and complement existing regulations.
The Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, which were adopted by the Judicial Group on Strengthening Judicial Integrity and endorsed by several UN bodies, provide guidance for regulating judicial conduct and are widely recognised as an international standard of good practice.
Most codes adopted in the last decade are structured around the six underlying values of the Bangalore principles, namely: independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, and competence and diligence.
The content of the various codes may be similar, but there are notable distinctions in the way these codes are implemented and enforced; some codes have a normative power (often in common law countries) whereas others are used a guiding document for judges.
Regardless of the enforcement mechanism, it is generally recognised that without training and buyin, the codes have little impact on judicial conduct.
x x x."
