Is it unlawful and or against the rules for a lawyer to criticize a judge and or a judge&#39;s decision?
<p>I've heard of a sentiment that a licensed lawyer should remain respectful of the court in order to promote faith in the justice system.</p>

<p>Is there a law or a rule against criticizing judges in and or outside of the court room?</p>

<p>Could you explain how that works?</p>

<p>In most jurisdictions there is a crime called <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contempt_of_court" rel="nofollow">contempt of court</a>; willful disrespect of the court or its officers, including the judge, can lead to your arrest and goaling. Respectful and measured criticism would not be contempt but it's not a line you want to be anywhere near. There is a similar crime called <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contempt_of_Parliament" rel="nofollow">contempt of parliament</a>. So there's that.</p>

<p>There is also the more practical aspect that a lawyer has an ongoing professional relationship with a judge; one in which the judge has most of the power. It would be extremely unprofessional for a judge to allow their personal feelings about a lawyer to influence their decisions but judges are people first. The phrase "nothing personal" is inapplicable to human beings.</p>

<p>I am not a lawyer, but I would expect there can't be a rule against criticising judges.   I say this because it would be a violation of laws relating to freedom of speech (no doubt most "modern/western" countries have this incorporated into their laws, as it flows, among other things, from the Universal Declaration of human rights).</p>

<p>On the flipside, lawyers are, in many/most places officers of the court, and thus have a duty to the court, thus this duty is more likely to be an ethical then legal one. </p>

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