Supreme Court justices have their own ethics code, separate from the Judicial Conference’s Code of Conduct for United States Judges. The two codes share principles such as integrity, independence and impartiality, but they cover different judicial offices and have different guidance and accountability arrangements. The complaint process established for covered lower-court judges does not apply to Supreme Court justices.
What ethics rules apply to Supreme Court justices?
The Supreme Court’s Code of Conduct for Justices was issued on November 13, 2023. The Court said it gathered in one place principles drawn from statutes, the federal judges’ code, advisory opinions and historical practice. It described the document as largely codifying principles the justices had long regarded as governing their conduct.
The code has five canons addressing judicial integrity and independence, avoiding impropriety and its appearance, and the fair, impartial and diligent performance of judicial duties. Its provisions address matters including outside influence, discriminatory membership, recusal, ex parte communications and the conduct of Court employees.
Do justices follow the same code as other federal judges?
No. The Judicial Conference’s Code of Conduct for United States Judges is a separate document. The official judiciary page lists its current version as effective March 12, 2019, and names the judicial offices to which it applies. Supreme Court justices are not on that applicability list.
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| Comparison | Supreme Court justices | Other covered federal judges |
|---|---|---|
| Code | Supreme Court’s Code of Conduct for Justices, issued November 13, 2023. | Judicial Conference’s Code of Conduct for United States Judges, version effective March 12, 2019. |
| Coverage | Members of the Supreme Court. | Circuit and district judges; judges of the Court of International Trade and Court of Federal Claims; bankruptcy judges; and magistrate judges. Certain provisions also apply to special masters and commissioners. The Tax Court, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces have adopted the code. |
| Organization | Five canons covering integrity and independence, avoiding impropriety and the fair, impartial, diligent performance of judicial duties. | Five canons covering integrity and independence; avoiding impropriety; judicial duties and disqualification; extrajudicial activities; and political activity. |
| Ethics guidance | The code describes principles drawn from several sources; the cited materials do not identify the Judicial Conference advisory-opinion service as guidance for justices. | The Judicial Conference Committee on Codes of Conduct is authorized to issue advisory opinions to judges covered by the federal code. |
| Administrative complaint process | The cited official materials do not identify an equivalent public administrative complaint process for Supreme Court justices. | The Judicial Conduct and Disability Act establishes an administrative complaint process for covered judges. |
Where do the codes overlap—and where do their details differ?
Both codes address core expectations of judicial conduct, including integrity, independence and impartiality, and avoiding impropriety. They are not interchangeable texts: their canons are organized differently, and their detailed provisions reflect their respective coverage and institutional arrangements.
The Supreme Court code includes provisions on recusal and ex parte communications as well as outside influence and discriminatory membership. The federal judges’ code addresses disqualification and provides detailed guidance for official duties and extrajudicial activities, including political activity. For covered judges, the Judicial Conference Committee on Codes of Conduct publishes advisory opinions on ethical questions that arise frequently or have broad application. That service should not be described as an advisory system for Supreme Court justices.
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Can you file an ethics complaint against a Supreme Court justice?
The Judicial Conduct and Disability Act provides an administrative complaint route for the covered judges in the federal judiciary framework. It is separate from the federal judicial code: a departure from the code does not automatically qualify as misconduct under the Act and its rules. The official judiciary’s September 2024 digest makes that distinction explicit.
That statutory route should not be presented as a complaint process against Supreme Court justices. The official materials cited here establish the justices’ separate code but do not identify an equivalent public administrative complaint process for them. That is a limit on what those sources establish; it is not proof that no internal procedure exists.
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What changed in the Supreme Court’s recusal procedures in 2026?
On February 17, 2026, the Supreme Court announced software to automate conflict checks by comparing case-party and attorney information with lists maintained by each justice’s chambers. The Court said the software supplements existing procedures and relates to revised Court Rules taking effect March 16, 2026. The announcement is an operational development, not an amendment to the Code of Conduct for Justices.
Ethical recusal standards and tools that help identify potential conflicts are distinct: the software supports conflict checking, while the applicable code addresses judicial conduct. The Court’s February 17, 2026 announcement on revisions to the Rules of the Court describes the software and effective date.
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