Definition:
The term recuse means to remove oneself from participation in a case or decision because of prejudice or conflict of interest. Recusal is the act of removing oneself as a judge or policy-maker in a matter. Recusal may also be involuntary (for example, an attorney may petition for a judge to be removed from a case), or may result from a challenge to the objectivity of a judge or policy-maker.
Recusal comes up most frequently in two areas:
- Judges. A judge may remove himself or herself from hearing a case because of a conflict of interest with that case.
- Boards of directors. In these cases, a member of a corporate board of directors may remove himself (or be removed) from participation in a matter before the board because of a conflict of interest.
