Canon 1 New Jersey Rules of Court, Canon 1: Part 1 Appendix (CCJE): Canon 1, rendered as code with every cross-reference linked

rule Canon 1 "Part 1 Appendix (CCJE): Canon 1" {
Canon 1-- Performance of Duties
(a) A court employee shall uphold the Constitutions and laws of the United States and the State of New Jersey, and shall faithfully carry out all duties assigned to the employee's judicial function.
Comment: Judiciary employees shall put loyalty to the principles embodied in this Code above loyalty to persons or parties.
(b) Every court employee shall endeavor at all times to perform official duties properly, courteously, and with diligence.
(c) Every court employee shall maintain or obtain current licenses or certificates as may be required by law or court rule for their employment.
(d) No court employee shall intentionally alter, falsify, destroy, mutilate, backdate, or fail to make required entries on any records within the employee's control. This provision does not prohibit alteration or expungement of records or documents pursuant to a court order.
(e) No court employee shall in the conduct of official duties discriminate or harass on the basis of, or manifest by words or conduct, bias or prejudice based on race, creed, color, national origin/nationality, ancestry, language, religion/religious practices or observances, age, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, socioeconomic status, disability or perceived disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, or status as a veteran or disabled veteran of, or liability for service in, the Armed Forces of the United States.
The Judiciary prohibits all forms of unlawful bias, harassment, and discrimination in all of its operations, including humiliating or degrading jokes, insults or comments about one’s race, creed, color, national origin/nationality, ancestry, religion, age, disability or perceived disability, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation, or any other unlawful criteria. Harassment, coercion, or intimidation of any individual based on these or other unlawful criteria is strictly forbidden.
(f) No court employee shall give legal advice outside the scope of his or her judiciary employment, or as provided in Canon 5.B.5., nor recommend the names of private attorneys.
Comment: A court employee may respond to questions regarding court procedures within the scope of the employee's duties.
(g) No court employee shall refuse to enforce or otherwise carry out any properly issued rule or order of court, nor shall court employees exceed that authority.
(h) Court employees who are attorneys, law students, or members of other professional groups are also bound by the appropriate professional duties of those roles.
Note: Canon 1 adopted December 7, 1993, to be effective immediately; section E amended May 3, 1994, to be effective September 1, 1994; section E amended October 16, 2008, to be effective immediately; section E amended September 9, 2014 to be effective immediately.
}
referenced_by: none
source: njcourts.gov // verbatim; changed 2025-11-05; corpus harvested 2026-09-02