The Imperative of Integrity

AuthorPeter Jamadar/Elron Elahie/Richard Jamadar
Pages20-22
20
THE IMPERATIVE OF INTEGRITY
The Whole as well as the Parts Matter
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) asserts that all human
beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. This recognition and affirmation of
the centrality to the human condition of freedom, equality, dignity, and rights, is
fundamental to the judicial process and function; to how judicial officers conduct
themselves, proceedings before them, and how they come into relationship with all
stakeholders involved in any such processes and proceedings.
Between April 2000 and November 2008, a United Nations initiative set about to identify
and articulate universally accepted core judicial values that underpin the judicial
function. The purpose was to bolster sustainable public trust and confidence in global
judicial systems. The result was the construction of six core judicial values and principles,
as follows: independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, and competence
and diligence. These values and principles were agreed to at a meeting of the Judicial
Integrity Group21 held in Bangalore, India, in February 2001, and have been known and
referred to since as the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct.22 They are considered
in both common law and civil law jurisdictions as the authoritative statement on the core
values and principles that must inform all judicial conduct. They are accepted globally as
essential for ensuring sustainable public trust and confidence in the administration of
21 https://www.judicialintegritygroup.org
22 The Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct (Judicial Group on Strengthening Judicial Integrity 2002),
<https://www.unodc.org/pdf/crime/corruption/judicial_group/Bangalore_principles.pdf> accessed 06 July 2021

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