Rule 5 Disqualification of judge

If a judge is being reviewed by this court, any member of the court who works in the same judicial district as that judge cannot take part in deciding the case. The same rule applies if a court member lives in that district or has a law office there.

This rule exists to keep things fair. Judges who share a district with the judge being reviewed may know that person personally or professionally, which could affect their judgment. By stepping aside, they avoid any appearance of bias or favoritism in the case.

In short, judges from the same area as the one being investigated are automatically removed from hearing that case. This helps make sure the decision is made by people with no personal connection to the judge involved.