recusal

American  

[ri-kyooz-uhl] / rɪˈkjuz əl /

noun

1. the act of recusing; withdrawal or disqualification from a role or process.

---

Explanation

In law, recusal is the act of a judge being disqualified (or disqualifying herself) because of a conflict of interest. A recusal, for example, would replace a judge if the defendant in a case was a relative. An attorney might ask for recusal if she overhears the judge saying something like, "Well it's obvious he's guilty — just look at those clothes he's wearing!" Before a case is decided, both judge and jury have to be completely unbiased and impartial for the result to be just. Recusal protects against a judge's bias. The word comes from recuse, "reject or challenge as disqualified to act."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

recusal

Warren suggested that Venturella’s recusal related to “particular matters” involving Geo Group would allow him to still play a role in developing policies, directives and guidances that could present a conflict of interest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

The recusal is real on paper and largely empty in practice.

From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026

But on Tuesday, the parties were informed of the court's "recusal," meaning at least one of the three judges declared they could not rule "objectively or impartially," according to a statement from the plaintiffs.

From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025

“Accordingly, the Constitution and the federal recusal statute require Your Honor to recuse herself from this case.”

From Slate ● Dec. 21, 2024

Issy Maisels rose dramatically and applied for the recusal of Judges Ludorf and Rumpff on the grounds that both had conflicts of interest that prevented them from being fair arbiters of our case.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela