Illinois Statutes Chapter 820. Employment § 305/1.1. Standards of conduct

(a) Commissioners and arbitrators shall dispose of all Workers' Compensation matters promptly, officially and fairly, without bias or prejudice. Commissioners and arbitrators shall be faithful to the law and maintain professional competence in it. They shall be unswayed by partisan interests, public clamor, or fear of criticism. Commissioners and arbitrators shall take appropriate action or initiate appropriate disciplinary measures against a Commissioner, arbitrator, lawyer, or others for unprofessional conduct of which the Commissioner or arbitrator may become aware.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the Canons of the Code of Judicial Conduct as adopted by the Supreme Court of Illinois govern the hearing and non-hearing conduct of members of the Commission and arbitrators under this Act. The Commission may set additional rules and standards, not less stringent than those rules and standards established by the Code of Judicial Conduct, for the conduct of arbitrators.

(c) The following provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct do not apply under this Section:

(d) An arbitrator or a Commissioner may accept an uncompensated appointment to a governmental committee, commission or other position that is concerned with issues of policy on matters which may come before the arbitrator or Commissioner if such appointment neither affects his or her independent professional judgment nor the conduct of his or her duties.

(e) Decisions of an arbitrator or a Commissioner shall be based exclusively on evidence in the record of the proceeding and material that has been officially noticed. Any findings of fact made by the arbitrator based on inquiries, investigations, examinations, or inspections undertaken by the arbitrator shall be entered into the record of the proceeding.

(f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit an arbitrator from holding a pre-trial conference in accordance with the rules of the Commission.