The dignity and stability of government in all its branches, the morals of the people and every blessing of society depend so much upon an upright and skilful administration of justice.
—John Adams. Thoughts on Government, 1776.
There are two types of judicial misconduct:
- Misconduct involving breaching the requirements of integrity, dignity, independence, impartiality, or promptness;
- Jurisprudential waywardness, which involves either willful refusal or intellectual inability to correctly apply statute law, binding precedent, or the constitution and jurisprudential competence below the standard expected of that level of judge.
These should be dealt with by executive oversight, legislative oversight, and by judicial reconfirmation.
