Nemo iudex in causa sua
Nemo iudex in causa sua (or nemo iudex in sua causa) is a Latin phrase that means, literally, "no-one should be a judge in his own case." It is a principle of natural justice that no person can judge a case in which they have an interest.[1] The rule is very strictly applied to any appearance of a possible bias, even if there is actually none: "Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done".[2]
This principle may also be called:
- nemo judex idoneus in propria causa est
- nemo judex in parte sua
- nemo judex in re sua
- nemo debet esse judex in propria causa
- in propria causa nemo judex
The legal effect of a breach of natural justice is normally to stop the proceedings and render any judgment invalid; it should be quashed or appealed, but may be remitted for a valid re-hearing.
The phrase is credited to Sir Edward Coke in the 17th century.[3]
It is also found in The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus, a Roman Slave (1856), by Darius Lyman, Jun., A. M.
See also
References
- ↑ "Legal definition of Nemo iudex in causa sua". legal-glossary.org. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
- ↑ R v Sussex Justices, ex parte McCarthy, [1924] 1 KB 256, [1923] All ER 233
- ↑ ABA Journal, "Show Me the Money: States, ABA Try to Figure Out When Campaign Cash Leads to a Judge’s Recusal", 1 March 2012 (retrieved 28 June 2017).