Oaths or affirmations taken by judges vary slightly from country to country, but all tend to capture the salient elements in the oath taken by justices serving in the US, “I ____ ____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as _____ under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.” The last sentence is an irrefutable confirmation of the fact that the Supreme Being abhors discriminatory acts of justice.
Amongst other things, the oath taken by judges in China states, “I pledge to be loyal to the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China…to be loyal to the people, to show the utmost respect for my duty, to pursue public affairs with integrity….” At least on paper, on the issues of deferring to the Constitution and being guided by the lofty ideal of integrity in performance of their duties, there is a convergence of understanding for justices in the West and the East.
