True or False: If a canon says a judge shall or shall not conduct himself in a certain manner, the judge does not have discretion.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. It depends

Answer: (A)

Mandatory language in judges' ethics canons creates a binding obligation. When a canon says a judge shall or shall not conduct himself in a certain manner, it expresses a duty the judge must follow and a prohibition against certain behavior. This isn’t about personal preference; it’s about upholding integrity, impartiality, and public confidence in the judiciary. Because the standard is mandatory, the judge’s discretion does not extend to deciding whether to comply. There may be some interpretation involved in applying the standard to a specific situation, but that interpretation is about understanding how to meet the obligation, not about whether to observe it in the first place.