STATE OF WASHINGTON
ETHICS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
OPINION NO. 90-1

Question
     May a full time Superior Court Commissioner serve as a member of an
ethics advisory committee which is being established by a hospital owned
and operated by a Public Hospital District?

Answer
     Our answer to this question is premised on the following
representations provided to the Committee:  1)  the guidelines for the
hospital ethics advisory committee state that the committee is to serve in
an advisory capacity and/or as a resource to persons involved in biomedical
decision making and is to evaluate institutional experiences related to
reviewing decisions having biomedical ethical implications; and 2)  the
hospital is on occasion a litigant in Superior Court.
     Based on this representation , it is not proper under CJC Canon
5(B)(1) for a judge to serve as a member of the hospital ethics advisory
committee as the hospital is on occasion engaged in adversary proceedings
in court.
     See opinions 85-1, 85-5.