(a) Requirements. Arizona Constitution Article 6, § 42, adopted by the voters at the November 1992 general election, requires the Court to adopt rules for, and administer, a process for evaluating judicial performance for all justices and judges standing for retention and for disseminating information to voters. These rules must include written performance standards and provide for performance reviews by surveying those with knowledge of the justice's or judge's performance. For purposes of these rules, “judges” means all justices and judges who are in merit selection jurisdictions and subject to retention elections.

(b) Intent. These rules are intended to implement the constitutional requirements through adoption of a judicial performance review process to provide information on judicial performance to voters in retention elections and the judges subject to retention; assist all judges subject to retention with opportunities for improving judicial performance; identify needed judicial education programs; and promote the goals of protecting judicial independence while fostering public accountability of the judiciary.