Home › Hawaii › Hawaiʻi Revised Code of Judicial Conduct › Rule 2.2

Court Rules Network • courtrules.net

Haw. Rev. Code Jud. Conduct 2.2

Not legal advice. Verify against official sources before relying on this text in any legal matter.

Rule 2.2 Impartiality and Fairness

Canon 2. A Judge Shall Perform the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially, Competently, and Diligently

← Previous Rule 2.1: Giving Precedence to the Duties of Judicial Office Next → Rule 2.3: Bias, Prejudice, and Harassment

Rule Text

A judge shall uphold and apply the law* and shall perform all the duties of judicial office fairly and impartially.*

Amendment history: Amended July 15, 2010, effective July 1, 2010; further amended June 17, 2014, effective July 1, 2014.

Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)

This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.

Judges have to follow the law and treat everyone in their courtroom fairly. This means a judge cannot play favorites or let personal feelings, bias, or outside pressure affect how they handle a case. Every person who comes before the court should be treated the same way, no matter who they are or what side they are on.

This rule applies to everything a judge does as part of their job. Whether they are deciding a motion, running a trial, or making a final ruling, the judge must base decisions on the law and the facts, not on personal opinions about the people involved. Fairness also means giving both sides a real chance to be heard and making sure the process itself is honest and even handed.

For people going to court, this rule is meant to protect you. It means you can expect the judge to listen to your case with an open mind and decide it based on the law, not on who you are or who your opponent is.

Committee Notes

COMMENT:

[1]To ensure impartiality and fairness to all parties, a judge must be objective and open-minded.

[2]Although each judge comes to the bench with a unique background and personal philosophy, a judge must interpret and apply the law without regard to whether the judge approves or disapproves of the law in question.

[3]When applying and interpreting the law, a judge sometimes may make good-faith errors of fact or law. Errors of this kind do not violate this Rule.

[4]It is not a violation of this Rule for a judge to make reasonable accommodations to ensure pro se litigants the opportunity to have their matters fairly heard.

[5]It is not a violation of this Rule for a judge to sanction a lawyer by permitting the lawyer to provide pro bono legal services to persons or organizations of the lawyer’s choosing that are described in Rule 6.1(a) of the Hawaiʻi Rules of Professional Conduct, or to make a monetary contribution to such organizations.

← Previous Rule 2.1: Giving Precedence to the Duties of Judicial Office Next → Rule 2.3: Bias, Prejudice, and Harassment

Cross-References

Referenced By (1)

Haw. Rev. Code Jud. Conduct Terminology

Bluebook Citation

Haw. Rev. Code Jud. Conduct 2.2

This Rule Set

View All Haw. Rev. Code Jud. Conduct Rules

Last updated: October 2026

Report an error