Negative commandment · Lo Ta’aseh #275 of 613
Not to honor a man of stature in judgment
שלא לכבד גדול בדין
The verse · Vayikra 19:15
לֹא־תַעֲשׂוּ עָוֶל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט לֹא־תִשָּׂא פְנֵי־דָל וְלֹא תֶהְדַּר פְּנֵי גָדוֹל בְּצֶדֶק תִּשְׁפֹּט עֲמִיתֶךָ
“You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.”
The Rambam’s words
Not to honor a man of stature in judgment, as [Leviticus 19:15] states: "Do not show respect to a great man."
שלא לכבד גדול בדין, שנאמר "וְלֹא תֶהְדַּר פְּנֵי גָּדוֹל" (ויקרא יט, טו).
Why · Sefer HaChinuch #234
To not honor a great person in judgment
“The root of the commandment is revealed to all — as with equitability in judgment, the world is civilized. But if a judge honors one of the litigants over the other, the [latter] disputant will fear to say all of his claims in front of him.”
Who & when
“And it is practiced in every place and at all times by males, since judgment is for them.”
Where in the Mishneh Torah
Hilchot The Sanhedrin and the Penalties within Their Jurisdiction הלכות סנהדרין והעונשין המסורין להם