Supreme Judicial Court Rules  Code of Judicial Conduct: Application

(A) Active Judges: The provisions of the Code apply to all judges of the Trial Court, the Appeals Court, and the Supreme Judicial Court until resignation, removal, or retirement, except as provided in Paragraph (B) below. 

(B) Retired Judges: A judge whose name has been placed upon the list of retired judges eligible to perform judicial duties, pursuant to G. L. c. 32, §§ 65E - 65G , shall comply with all provisions of this Code during the term of such eligibility. 

A person to whom this Code becomes applicable shall comply immediately with all its provisions except Rules 3.8 and 3.11(B), and shall comply with those sections as soon as reasonably possible and in any event within one year. 

[1] A judge who has retired or resigned from judicial office shall not, for a period of six months following the date of retirement, resignation, or most recent service as a retired judge pursuant to G. L. c. 32, §§ 65E - 65G , perform dispute resolution services with a court-connected program except on a pro bono publico basis, or enter an appearance, or accept an appointment to represent any party, in any court of the Commonwealth. 

[2] Judges should be aware that their conduct prior to assuming judicial office may have consequences under the law. See, e.g., G. L. c. 211C, § 2(2) , Rule 2.11(A)(4). 

[3] This Code does not apply to judicial applicants and judicial nominees. Historically, by Executive Order, the Governor of the Commonwealth has created a code of conduct for judicial applicants and judicial nominees. 

[4] An active judge who becomes an applicant or candidate for a different judicial office, state or federal, must comply with the requirements of any appointing authority in addition to this Code.