Rule 5 - Powers and Duties (a) At the written request of a judge, a candidate for judicial office, or a judicial conference, and by the concurrence of a majority of the committee's members, the committee shall render written advisory opinions on proper judicial conduct with respect to the Wyoming Code of Judicial Conduct, or any other requirement of law relating to the ethical and professional conduct of judges or candidates for judicial office. (b) The committee shall not render opinions regarding the proposed conduct of someone other than the person submitting the request, except that the committee may respond to a written request from a judge about a person subject to the judge's direction and control or over whom the judge has supervisory responsibilities, or from a judge about the judge's relatives. (c) The committee shall only issue opinions that address contemplated or proposed future conduct and shall not issue opinions addressing past or current conduct unless the past or current conduct relates to future conduct or conduct that is continuing. The committee shall not issue an opinion in response to a request on a matter known to be pending before a court or before the Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics. (d) The committee may decline to respond to a request for opinion if it determines that a response would not be appropriate or would not aid the judge, benefit the judiciary as a whole, or serve the public interest. (e) The committee shall not issue an advisory opinion that interprets any statute, rule or regulation that does not relate to judicial ethics. (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of these rules, the committee may also issue opinions at its own initiative on matters of interest to the judiciary. Adopted April 1, 2010, effective July 1, 2010.