Rules of Court · Part 1 · New Jersey
Canon 7 New Jersey Rules of Court, Canon 7: Part 1 Appendix (CJC): Canon 7, rendered as code with every cross-reference linked
Part 1 Appendix (CJC): Canon 7
Canon 7
A judge shall refrain from political activity
Rule 7 Political Activity
(a) A judge shall not engage in any political activity, including but not limited to:
(1) holding membership or office in a political organization;
(2) making speeches for a political organization or candidate, or publicly endorsing a candidate for public office;
(3) attending political functions that are likely to be considered as political in nature;
(4) soliciting funds, paying an assessment, or making a contribution to a political organization or candidate, or purchasing tickets for political party dinners or other functions;
(b) A judge shall resign from office when the judge becomes a candidate for an elective public office or is nominated thereto.
(c) A part-time municipal court judge shall not affiliate with a law firm as a partner, director, of counsel, associate, or some other comparable status if the law firm, or any lawyer of the firm on the law firm’s behalf, makes political contributions such as those included in Subsection 7A(4). It shall be the responsibility of a part-time municipal judge to take reasonable measures to ensure that a law firm with which the judge is affiliated does not make political contributions. Lawyers within the firm with whom the part-time municipal judge is affiliated, may nonetheless make personal political contributions.
Comment: The proscription against membership in a political organization does not prohibit a judge from registering with a political party to vote.
Note: Adopted August 2, 2016 to be effective September 1, 2016; subparagraph (B)(4)(b) amended, new subparagraph (B)(4)(c) adopted, and subparagraphs (B)(4)(c), (B)(4)(d), and (B)(4)(e) redesignated as subparagraphs (B)(4)(d), (B)(4)(e), and (B)(4)(f) January 6, 2020 to be effective immediately; new paragraph 3 added to official comment to Rule 3.17 with former paragraph 3 renumbered as paragraph 4 and the ensuing paragraphs renumbered accordingly January 24, 2023 to be effective immediately; new paragraph 12 added to official comment to Rule 3.17 October 9, 2024 to be effective immediately; paragraph (E) amended March 31, 2026 to be effective immediately.
Verbatim rule text, unmarked. Nothing here is a summary.
rule Canon 7 "Part 1 Appendix (CJC): Canon 7" {
Canon 7
A judge shall refrain from political activity
Rule 7 Political Activity
(a) A judge shall not engage in any political activity, including but not limited to:
(1) holding membership or office in a political organization;
(2) making speeches for a political organization or candidate, or publicly endorsing a candidate for public office;
(3) attending political functions that are likely to be considered as political in nature;
(4) soliciting funds, paying an assessment, or making a contribution to a political organization or candidate, or purchasing tickets for political party dinners or other functions;
(b) A judge shall resign from office when the judge becomes a candidate for an elective public office or is nominated thereto.
(c) A part-time municipal court judge shall not affiliate with a law firm as a partner, director, of counsel, associate, or some other comparable status if the law firm, or any lawyer of the firm on the law firm’s behalf, makes political contributions such as those included in Subsection 7A(4). It shall be the responsibility of a part-time municipal judge to take reasonable measures to ensure that a law firm with which the judge is affiliated does not make political contributions. Lawyers within the firm with whom the part-time municipal judge is affiliated, may nonetheless make personal political contributions.
Comment: The proscription against membership in a political organization does not prohibit a judge from registering with a political party to vote.
Note: Adopted August 2, 2016 to be effective September 1, 2016; subparagraph (B)(4)(b) amended, new subparagraph (B)(4)(c) adopted, and subparagraphs (B)(4)(c), (B)(4)(d), and (B)(4)(e) redesignated as subparagraphs (B)(4)(d), (B)(4)(e), and (B)(4)(f) January 6, 2020 to be effective immediately; new paragraph 3 added to official comment to Rule 3.17 with former paragraph 3 renumbered as paragraph 4 and the ensuing paragraphs renumbered accordingly January 24, 2023 to be effective immediately; new paragraph 12 added to official comment to Rule 3.17 October 9, 2024 to be effective immediately; paragraph (E) amended March 31, 2026 to be effective immediately.
}
referenced_by: none
source: njcourts.gov // verbatim; changed 2026-04-07; corpus harvested 2026-09-02← Canon 6 · Canon 1 → · Canon · all rules
The Rules of Court are a government edict and carry no copyright; the text above is the Judiciary’s own publication, unchanged. Structure, links and highlighting are ours and carry no legal weight. Read the rule on njcourts.gov before you rely on it; amendments take effect each September 1.