Ethical Issues In An Investigation

Part I This seminar discusses the ethical scope of an investigation, the necessity to understand its legal context and the possible liability of the investigator in the event of non –compliance with the code of ethics related to his/her own profession. It demonstrates the importance of having a clear mandate and to discuss any amendments to it, as needed and as per the investigator’s ethical duty.

Part II The presentation deals with confidentiality as an ethical concern in the course of investigations. Confidentiality is different from privacy. An investigation has to comply with certain statutory and legal rules governing privacy rights. Examples of privacy interests are outlined, particularly, expectations of privacy when investigating social media are discussed. The presenter further shows limits of confidentiality within an investigation, confers balancing rights of the involved people to know the allegations with preserving confidentiality, and considers information disclosure without breaching confidentiality of a witness.