The provisions of this Code should be constructed and applied to further than objective. The judicial duties of a judge take precedence over all the judge's other activities. The judge's judicial duties include all the duties of the judge's office prescribed by law. A judge who receives information or has actual knowledge that substantial likelyhood exists that a lawyer has committed a violation of the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar shall take appropriate action. Within that context, the legal profession has been granted powers of self government.
Self regulation helps maintain the legal profession's independence from undue government domination.
An independent legal profession is an important force in preserving government under law, for abuse of legal authority is more readily challenged by a profession whose members are not dependent upon the executive and legislative branches of government for the right to practice. Supervision by an independent judiciary, and conformity with the rules the judiciary adopts for the profession, assures both independence and responsibility. Thus, every lawyer is responsible for observance of the rules of Professional Conduct. A lawyer should also aid in securing their observance by other lawyers. Neglect of these responsibilities compromises the independence of the profession and the public interest that it serves.