New ethics rules for judges at the International Criminal Court took effect on Friday 16 October 2026, setting out how they should conduct themselves online and making clear that the court’s ethical standards are not optional.
The judges approved the amendments to the Code of Judicial Ethics at their annual retreat on 29 September 2026, using the power given to them under Regulation 126 of the Regulations of the Court.
The first change adds a new subparagraph to Article 10, which tells judges to be careful in how they use social media and other forms of information technology.
The second rewrites Article 12 to state plainly that the standards in the code bind the judges and that breaking them can amount to misconduct.
The court said the amendments show that it means to keep its ethical standards high and to keep the behaviour of its judges in line with the duties and the public trust that come with judicial office.
Publication of the revised code on the ICC website was the step that brought the two amended articles into force.
