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A fair, impartial and independent judiciary is indispensible to a free and democratic society. Public trust and confidence in our courts, the belief that all who come before the courts will be heard, be given a fair and impartial hearing, is the foundation of our justice system.
As John Adams stated, "It is the right of every citizen to be tried by judges as free, impartial and independent as the lot of humanity will admit."
The website of the Standing Committee on Judicial Independence is designed to provide current information and resources on matters pertaining to the fair and impartial administration of justice through our courts, the preservation of an independent judiciary as a co-equal branch of government, and public understanding of our "Least Understood Branch."
We also provide resources to enable lawyers and the public to respond in a timely fashion to unfair and unjust criticism of judges.
We encourage you to visit our website frequently and utilize the resources, policy information, reports, and tools available to you.
William K. Weisenberg, Chair
Standing Committee on Judicial Independence
The committee shall:
- Assist courts, administrative judiciaries and state, local and territorial bar associations in considering and effectuating responses to infringement of judicial independence;
- Encourage public awareness and appreciation of the importance of judicial independence and merit selection to the American judicial system and the rule of law;
- Make recommendations on ways to improve and enhance the institutional independence and efficiency of state, territorial and local judiciaries and encourage appropriate accountability to enhance judicial independence and the efficient administration of justice; and
- Act as a clearinghouse for the Association's activities dealing with the judicial independence of state, local and administrative judiciaries.
West Virginia Recusal Case Could Boost Confidence in Courts
ABA President Calls for Fair and Impartial State Courts
Important voting information including information on how to register to vote. Click here for more information.
Hot off the Press: ABA files amicus brief in Caperton v. Massey.
To access -- click here
Judicial Disqualification Project Draft Report -- Now Available
Appendix A
Appendix B
Recommendation
State Courts Assessment Project Resolution 10D passed in the House of Delegates meeting at the 2008 ABA Annual Meeting in New York.
State Court Assessment Project (SCAP) Recommendation
State Court Assessment Project (SCAP)
Newly Released Rapid Response to Unfair and Unjust Criticism of Judges pamphlet -- click here
The Ohio State Bar Association is adopting the ABA’s Least Understood Branch project, a joint effort of the Judicial Division and the Standing Committee on Judicial Independence with the League of Women Voters (LWV); Justice at Stake (JAS); and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) as participating entities. The project focuses on training lawyers and judges in speaking to the public on the importance of fair and impartial courts. -- click here
Recently Released New Mexico SCAP Report -- click here
State Court Assessment Project
The Standing Committee on Judicial Independence launched its State Court Assessment Project (SCAP) in 2005. The project is designed to assist court systems in determining how well they are addressing the needs and concerns of the populace they serve by providing an independent assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of a state's court system. The Committee has conducted an assessment in one state, Missouri. The Missouri report is now available on this web page.
Resource Kit on Fair and Impartial Courts
The Standing Committee on Judicial Independence has updated its resource kit on fair and impartial courts. The resource kit offers a number of useful resources including a sample letter to the editor; a sample op-ed; the Countering the Critics pamphlet; and the recently-released Protecting Our Rights, Protecting Our Courts DVD. We will continue to supplement and update these resources.
ABA Midyear Meeting
February 11-17, 2009
Boston, MA
Justice in Jeopardy: Justice in Jeopardy presents the final report of the ABA Commission on the 21st Century Judiciary. The ABA House of Delegates adopted the Commission's
recommendations in August 2003. Click to view a downloadable version of the report.
Model Code of Judicial Conduct
passed by the House of Delegates in February 2007
Purchase the Book
View the Report
National Database on Judicial Diversity in State Courts: The Standing Committee on Judicial Independence has commissioned a research project intended to result in a comprehensive database on judicial diversity in state appellate, trial, and limited jurisdiction courts. The result is the only national data set of its kind profiling judges of color presiding over general jurisdiction state courts. Click here to view the report.
