Canon 5

SECTION 5. Judges shall require

lawyers in proceedings before the
court to refrain from manifesting, by
words or conduct, bias or prejudice
based on irrelevant grounds, except
such as are legally relevant to an
issue in proceedings and may be the
subject of legitimate advocacy.
-Judges should conduct proceedings in
court with dignity and in a manner that
reflects the importance and seriousness
of proceedings. They should maintain
order and proper decorum in the court.
-Since judges set the tone and
environment of the court proceedings,
they should censure lawyers who use
sexist language or inappropriate
behavior in court.
 -They should hold lawyers to the
requirements of Rule 12.07 of the
Code of Professional Responsibility
which provides that a lawyer shall
not abuse, browbeat or harass a
witness nor needlessly inconvenience
him.
-Judges have the duty to prevent
lawyers from abusing witnesses with
unfair treatment.
As courts are expected to ensure equality, any
lawyer who makes an insensitive or demeaning
comment in court should be admonished.

People v. Bores

That the frightful experience of being

questioned about rape committed against
children requires the highest degree of tact,
patience and diplomacy. Thus, excessive queries
to a 6-year old child as to whether she
remembered step-by-step the sexual
intercourse at the hands of the accused were
unnecessary and inappropriate.
 Canon 6

SECTION 1. The judicial duties of a

judge take precedence over all other
activities.
- Though a judge has a duty to not sit where
disqualified, a judge has an equally strong duty
not to recuse himself when the circumstances
do not require recusal.

AMERICAN STATUTE

- mandates that a judge sit in a case unless

there is a reasonable question as to the judges
impartiality. Thus, a judge should not recuse
himself simply to avoid sitting on difficult or
controversial case.