The Imperative of Integrity

• Author: Peter Jamadar/Elron Elahie/Richard Jamadar
• Pages: 20-22

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