Ethics: A Moral Dilemma
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X9606900211 |
| Author | Brian F. Kingshott |
| Published date | 01 April 1996 |
| Date | 01 April 1996 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
INSPECTOR BRIAN F. KINGSHOTT, BA, MA
Devon &Cornwall Constabulary
ETHICS: AMORAL DILEMMA
Ethics is the latest business buzzword that poses an underlying question:
should personnel and training professionals be doing more to promote
ethical behaviour in their organizations?
The question of ethics is being considered by Lord Nolan's Committee
on Standards in Public Life. Parliamentary divisions are apparent, with
concern expressed across the political spectrum as to what the result of
Lord Nolan's curbs, if accepted, would be in the House
of
Commons.
Tony Blair has said that the Labour Party will boycott any committee
set up by John Major to examine the Nolan Committee's proposals unless
the new body is restricted to implementing the recommendations in full.
John Major had hoped to diffuse the fury in the Conservative ranks by
delaying the implementation of Lord Nolan'ssuggestion
of
an independent
watchdog to monitor MPs' interests and behaviour.
The Liberal Democratic leader, Paddy Ashdown, also threatened a
boycott, saying that his MPs would "walkaway" from the proposed select
committee if the Government used it to delay or block Nolan's proposals.
Tory MP Sir Rhodes Boyson claimed that the sovereignty
of
Parliament
had been undermined by the calling in of the Nolan Committee.\Further
Tory discontent was demonstrated in the news media with Alan Duncan's
(MP for Rutland & Melton) wrath apparent when he accosted and berated
Lord Nolan in front of TV cameras. Mr Duncan later insisted it was a
private conversation whichjusthappened to beoverheard by amicrophone. 2
An historical overview will show that the police service faced such
inquiries on numerous occasions and our concerns were voiced but
publicly castigated as hysterical and totally out
of
touch with the society
we police. Obviously Parliament does not see its response to such an
inquiry in quite the same light. I admit that I find the fine line between
hysteria and gross exaggeration on policing issues for the police service
and informed debate and constitutional implementation
of
constructive
criticism in parliamentary matters somewhat blurred. This may of course
be because my personal jaundiced perspective is tempered with a healthy
sprinkling of police officer's cynicism. The perspective from which one
views the perceived problem must be taken into consideration, but if
police representatives acted in such a biased manner when dealing with
policing issues before all the evidence and observations were gathered
from the committee stages, I feel sure someone would have shouted foul
and described such behaviour as unethical. The behaviour
of
numerous
MPs past and present may suggest that such a review was long overdue.
The focus on ethics was encouraged by the Cadbury Report on
Corporate Governance(1992) which recommended that companiesshould
adopt one. Codes have been well publicized by the Institute of Business
Ethics (London) which, since its formation in 1986, has seen a steady rise
April 1996 The Police Journal 163
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