Professional conduct is the field of
regulation
Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. Fo ...
of members of
professional bodies
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
, either acting under
statutory
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...
or
contractual powers.
Historically, professional conduct was wholly undertaken by the private professional bodies, the sole legal authority for which was of a contractual nature. These bodies commonly established
codes of conduct and
ethical code
Ethical codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An ethical code generally implies documents at three levels: codes of b ...
s for the guidance of their members.
In certain areas, where the
public interest
The public interest is "the welfare or well-being of the general public" and society.
Overview
Economist Lok Sang Ho in his ''Public Policy and the Public Interest'' argues that the public interest must be assessed impartially and, therefor ...
is considered to be heavily engaged,
legislation
Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred to ...
has been enacted, either replacing professional regulation by statutory legislation, or by a form of supervision of the professional body by a statutory body.
European Union
Th
Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)is the representative organisation of
European lawyers through its member bars and law societies from 31 full member countries, and 11 further associate and observer countries. The CCBE has issued a Charter of core principles of the European legal profession and Code of Conduct for European lawyers. Activities include a committee on
Deontology
In moral philosophy, deontological ethics or deontology (from Greek: + ) is the normative ethical theory that the morality of an action should be based on whether that action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules and principles, r ...
and a working group on Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Th
European Council of Civil Engineers (ECCE)aims to promote the highest technical and ethical standards, to provide a source of impartial advice, and promote co-operation with other pan-European organisations in the construction industry. The ECCE formulates standards for a European Code of Conduct of the Civil Engineering Profession and disciplinary procedures applicable throughout the Union. Other activities include the preparation of a review of the civil engineering profession in Europe, covering, e.g., demand for liability insurance.
Th
Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE)represents the interests of the geodetic surveying profession in the private and public sector from 31 countries of Europe. As of September 2009, the CLGE adopted the CLGE Code of Conduct of the European Surveyor and initiated the ratification process amongst members. It 'highly recommends that European surveyors hold
professional indemnity insurance'.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, where a professional body is a
public body within the meaning of the
Human Rights Act 1998 (such as is the case with
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
, the
legal profession
Legal profession is a profession in which legal professionals study, develop and apply law. Usually, there is a requirement for someone choosing a career in law to first obtain a law degree or some other form of legal education.
It is difficult to ...
, and
financial services), its professional conduct machinery must conform to the
European Convention on Human Rights
The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by ...
.
[Harris 2011, annex]
See also
*
Licensure
Licensure means a restricted practice or a restriction on the use of an occupational title, requiring a license. A license created under a "practice act" requires a license before performing a certain activity, such as driving a car on public roa ...
*
Professional abuse Professional abuse is "a pattern of conduct in which a person abuses, violates, or takes advantage of a victim within the context of the abuser's profession." This typically involves a violation of the relevant professional organization's code of e ...
*
Professional boundaries
*
Professional ethics
Professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate standards of behavior expected of professionals.
The word professionalism originally applied to vows of a religious order. By no later than the year 1675, the term had seen secular applic ...
*
Professional responsibility
Professional responsibility is a set of duties within the concept of professional ethics for those who exercise a unique set of knowledge and skill as professionals.
Professional responsibility applies to those professionals making judgments, a ...
References
{{reflist
External links
National codes of conduct of the legal professions in Europe
Regulation
Professional ethics