Jueces virtuosos

This article addresses the importance of considering certain character traits in the selection of judges, not only due to the power they hold and the high demands of the judicial function, but also the serious problems of judicial corruption, when they occur. Placing more importance on certain virtues in the selection of judges does not mean accepting moral perfectionism. On the contrary, it is necessary to define the type of virtues to which we are referring, so as to avoid affecting individual autonomy disproportionately. However, they are virtues that should be practiced in both the public and private spheres, as it should not be assumed that people will change when they take on a public role. Therefore, in making judicial appointments, the State can favor certain ways of living, those that show certain virtues, such as integrity. Integrity is mentioned in the Basic Principles of the United Nations on the Independence of the Judiciary and the Ibero-American Code of Judicial Ethics. The author proposes that integrity should be understood as a virtue composed, in turn, of two others–honesty and responsibility–which are defined in the article.