The Role of the Judge in Integrity and Ethics - Assignment Example

The Role of the Judge in Integrity and Ethics The future expected role is as a judge in a court of law. Judges are mandated to decide on cases based on the evidence adduced before them by both the plaintiff and the defendant. If the evidence is compelling enough, the judge has a role to find the accused guilty of an offence. On the contrary, the judge may decide that the evidence presented before him or her is not enough to incriminate the accused thereby finding the accused not guilty based on the adduced evidence.

As such, the judge holds a critical role in the criminal justice system and has to have three important elements of ethics and integrity. One, the judge has to have an element of compliance with the law. As one of the most senior persons in the criminal justice system, the judge has to set an example of how the accused has to abide by the law by observing the law to the best extent possible. A judge who does not abide by the law in his responsibilities and other personal duties defeats the essence of his/her profession and has no merit being in the justice system to try those accused of breaking the law.

Secondly, the judge has to avoid conflict of interest to the best extent possible as one of the best integrity principles. Some judges may have law firms with attorneys that represent accused persons in the court. In such circumstances, a judge would fail the integrity test by hearing a case with one of the attorneys as partner in such law firms as the judge may be tempted to be biased towards the attorney with whom they have previously shared a law firm. Integrity tests require such a judge withdraw from such a case to be heard before a different neutral judge.

The third element of integrity is personal responsibility. Every judge has to take it upon him/herself to ensure justice to all parties without compromise (Prenzler, 2009). This is an integrity test that a credible judge has to reflect in all his or her ruling. The public is entitled to have complete trust, respect for the integrity of criminal justice system as well as have confidence in their operations that are done professionally. As such, professions within the criminal justice system have to maintain and jealously guard such public confidence considering that justice is one of the major pillars of any constitution.

All criminal justice professionals have to adhere to the highest standards possible without allowing any gaps that may lead the public to doubt such officials to guard such public confidence. Therefore, the role of integrity and ethics in the criminal justice profession is to ensure the public develops and maintains the highest degree of confidence in the institutions and to protect the rights and liberties as spelled out under the constitution to the best way possible. Leadership is an important aspect in any organization, more so to the criminal justice system where leadership has to hold to the highest degree of integrity and ethics.

In most cases, it is only when the top echelon leadership portrays the highest degree of integrity that they may influence their subordinates to follow suit (Prenzler, 2009). The integrity of the justice system can only be preserved when the public has the perception that the institution has the best caliber of leadership that adheres to the level of integrity commensurate with the sensitivity of the profession that they hold. Therefore, in the criminal justice system leadership is of critical importance as it determines the level of integrity to be held in the entire institution.

ReferencePrenzler, T. (2009). Ethics and Accountability in Criminal Justice: Towards a Universal Standard. Bowen Hills: Australian Academic Press.