Independence and Integrity as a Criterion for Judicial Performance Evaluation

Abstract

This article examines aspects of independence and integrity as a potential measure of judicial performance for use in judicial performance evaluation programmes and examines the results of a national survey of barristers and judicial officers conducted by the author. These aspects include identifying measures of judicial independence and integrity, whether ratings of independence and integrity differ between trial and appellate judges, whether judicial gender affects ratings of independence and integrity, whether judicial age or barrister experience have an effect, and the importance of judicial independence and integrity as a measure of judicial performance.