"All persons shall be equal before the courts and tribunals. In the determination of any criminal charge against him, or of his rights and obligations in a suit at law, everyone shall be entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law."Art. 14 (1) ICCPR

A judiciary of undisputed integrity is the bedrock institution essential for ensuring compliance with democracy and the rule of law. Even when all other protections fail, it provides a bulwark to the public against encroachments on its rights and freedoms under the law. These observations apply both domestically within the context of each nation State and globally, viewing the global judiciary as one great bastion of the rule of law throughout the world.

Ensuring the integrity of the global judiciary is thus a task to which much energy, skill and experience must be devoted. This is precisely what the Judicial Group on Strengthening Judicial Integrity (The Judicial Integrity Group) has sought to do since it set out on this task in 2000. It commenced as an informal group of Chief Justices and Superior Court Judges from around the world who combined their experience and skill with a sense of dedication to this noble task. Since then, its work and achievements have grown to a point where they have made a significant impact on the global judicial scene.