MEDIA RELEASE
Western Australia's Chief Justice, the Hon David Malcolm AC, has welcomed the launch of the first-ever formal guide for Australia's judges and magistrates on judicial conduct.
The Guide to Judicial Conduct, which provides assistance and advice to judicial officers on suitable behaviour both inside and outside the courtroom, is available from today for the Australian public. It can be found on the Supreme Court of Western Australia web site.
It has been produced by the Council of Chief Justices, with assistance from the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration.
Chief Justice Malcolm said the new publication would be a valuable source of guidance for judges and magistrates, particularly new members of the judiciary.
"There has been no comprehensive ethical or behaviour guide for judicial officers in this country, and the numbers of judges has increased significantly over the past 20 years," he said.
"Many questions are asked, especially at judicial orientation forums, by judges - such as what restrictions should be placed on memberships of clubs or societies, or commenting in public on matters relating to the law or the judicial system.
"A guide such as this will be of great assistance to all judges and magistrates, but will be particularly helpful to those judicial officers who do not have ready access to experienced colleagues."
Chief Justice Malcolm said the guide was open for public scrutiny and the community could see what kind of standards were encouraged.
"It recognises that the community expects high standards from its judicial officers, and until now these standards have not been formalised," he said.
| Media Contact: | Val Buchanan Public Information Officer for the Courts 9421 5303 or pager 9324 4319 |
