Ethical Values in Justice: Personal Framework and Dilemma Resolution

This report delves into the critical role of ethics within the justice field, exploring how personal values, such as accountability, honesty, and integrity, shape professional conduct and uphold the rule of law. It examines the influence of factors like legal standards and the importance of maintaining a strong professional reputation. The report presents an ethical dilemma involving a colleague's misconduct, analyzing the conflicting values and potential consequences. It then outlines various approaches to address this situation, considering legal requirements, workplace documentation, and ethical obligations. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of ethical behavior in fostering trust, ensuring access to justice, and maintaining the integrity of the legal profession. The assignment offers insights into the complexities of ethical decision-making in the justice environment, with a focus on maintaining professional standards and upholding the rule of law.

Running head: MANAGEMENT 1
Ethics
Student Name
Institution

MANAGEMENT 2
Introduction
Ethics values and legal professional standards play a role in increasing access to justice
and the rule of law. Personal ethical values are the core to reputational building and
accountability that is required in the justice department. There are many professional
misconducts in the justice field that jeopardizes the rule of law and ruin legal practice. These
ethical dilemmas require a clear understanding of both the legal and ethical standards that are
expected in the justice environment. In addition, legal and justice practitioners are required to
remain accountable, show honesty, loyalty, integrity, and fairness when handling criminal cases.
The following paper explores ethics in the justice field highlighting some ethical values that help
in handling ethical situations.
Part 1
a. Please identify and describe some of your own personal ethical values
Some of my personal ethical values include accountability, honesty, integrity, fairness,
loyalty and professionalism client relationship. Firstly, my accountability ethical value is based
on the need to remain professional in all my legal and justice practice since there is high trust
placed on me by clients and other stakeholders. Secondly, am loyal to my employer and clients
for effective future legal practice (Slabbert, 2011). Am remaining loyal to the Victorian
Department of justice and clients is important as it ensures that I am not involved in improper
legal advertisement activities. Thirdly, honesty in my dealing with clients and colleagues as
cannot be engaged in activities that will destroy both my professional and employer’s reputation.
In addition, honesty ethical values are to ensure am not involved in corruption or any scandal

MANAGEMENT 3
that will tilt my legal image. Fourthly, I ensure that my relationship with clients and colleagues is
professional and without any illegal activities that can ruin my legal practice (Jo-Marí & Van Zyl
IV, 2016).
b. Why do you think these ethical values will help you when working in the justice
environment in the future?
I think these ethical values will help me work in the justice environment in future due to a
number of reasons. Firstly, these ethical values will help me to maintain the rule of law and
access to justice. The rule of law and access to justice is one of the most important aspects of
justice that ensures that ethical values are maintained to the required standards. Secondly, ethical
values are important for ensuring that I maintain the reputation of my legal profession. The
professional reputation is important as it instills confident on legal practitioners. My professional
reputation rests on the way people view the administration of justice and this helps to build my
legal profession. Thirdly, ethical values enhance accountability in the course of my legal practice
in the future. Ethical values and standard are important for ensuring that being accountable to
clients and other stakeholders especially where my standards are not as per the requirements of
justice profession. Ethical values lead to accountability that is required for justice and rule of
laws in future justice environment (Maphumulo, 2014).
c. Describe what you believe has been the most significant influence on the development
of your values?
There are some factors that have contributed to the development of my ethical values and
these include legal and justice ethical standards, legal requirement, believing in the rule of law
and access to justice and professionalism. I believe in acting according to the legal requirement

MANAGEMENT 4
that is contained in the constitution that guide the legal practice. I also believe in an ethical
standard as highlighted in the codes of legal practitioners that is important for value
development. The rule of law and access to justice is also my inspiration for the development of
ethical values (Van Zyl & Visser, 2016).
d. How can you apply your own ethical framework to help and support the ethical
behavior of your work colleagues?
There are some ways that can help improve the ethical behavior of my work colleagues.
Remaining honest and loyal to the department of justice is the primary way to help colleagues as
they will follow my behavior. Moreover, my colleagues will realize the need to behave in a more
responsible way at work contrary to their current dishonesty (Van Zyl, 2010).
Part 2
1. Describe the ethical dilemma that you are faced with in terms of the
values/behaviours and principles of the public sector
The ethical dilemma that is facing is a friend and colleague is involved in legal
malpractice that shows dishonesty. My work colleague is not loyal to employer and colleague’s
behavior contradicts all professional ethical standards that are expected at the justice practice.
Reporting colleague to the management means loss of employment and possible criminal charges
against the colleague. My ethical values, on the other hand, indicates that legal practitioner
should not participate in activities that jeopardize justice and defeat rule of law (North Carolina
State Bar 2015). Moreover, being a friend reporting work colleagues means ruining one’s future
legal professional practice. Another aspect of the dilemma is the conflict of interest as a member

MANAGEMENT 5
of the department of justice participating in helping the client to defeat justice. as the department
of justice, the confidentiality and integrity of colleague hung on the scale. The ethical issues are
also evident through improper sneaking away of legal files out of the office for personal gain.
This is a criminal activity that requires legal redress and my colleague risk losing the job if
discovered and justice is to serve (Chesterton, 2014).
2. Describe the ALL the ways that you can deal with this situation
Dealing with this situation requires analysis of many factors and the ethical implications
of the outcome of the situation. Firstly, the first approach to deal with this situation is directly
following the legal means of reporting unethical behavior in the workplace. There are some legal
and ethical guidelines that legal practitioners are expected to follow in the course of practice. The
legal requirement will be the primary consideration before acting on the situation. This is based
on the personal stand on the case that may also be questioning if the article and the leaked
information is discovered to have originated from our office. Therefore, to maintain the ethical
values and standard of practice following legal requirement I can report a colleague to the
management. Though this will has personal professional risk on a colleague, I have also
supposed to remain accountable to myself and employer. I also risk my legal profession being
part of the team where vital information has been leaked (Kiefel, 2010). Secondly, another
approach that also is considered though not ethical is discussing the issues with my colleague
that is involved in the misconduct. Approaching my colleague to inform colleague of the
professional misconduct and implication on future practice is another possible way. The
magnitude of the case is another aspect of the situation that can lead to professional misconduct.

MANAGEMENT 6
Being a friend and colleague advising my colleague on the expected standard of practice is
important for dealing with the situation (New York City Law Association, 2013).
3. Identify and describe the workplace documentation/guidelines and procedures
that you could use to assist you with the decision making process. Consider the
legal requirements and workplace expectations of public service employees in
particular.
There are some guidelines that are required for proper workplace documentation that is
important for my decision making. The legal practice and justice workplace documentation
require proper access to legal documents and files through the required channel of operation.
Taking away of legal files from the public office contradicts the standards of practice and legal
requirement in justice environment. In addition, the legal procedure of obtaining files or
documents from the department of justice is clear and no files should be sneaked out of the office
without management consent. Legal practice requires proper documentation that follows the
accepted guidelines and standards as set out injustice procedures. Improper documentation
behavior with dishonesty and integrity is viewed as abating rule of law and access to justice
(Whitear-Nel & Freedman, 2015).
4. Describe what you would do in this situation as a step by step process to fulfill
your ethical obligations as an employee in the justice field.
There are a number of steps that I will follow to fulfill my ethical obligation as an
employee in the justice field. Firstly, I will approach my colleague and discuss the issue with a
colleague if there is any way we can solve the situation before getting worse (Venter, 2013). An

MANAGEMENT 7
approaching colleague is meant to assist the colleague to report the issue personally before the
office finds out what happened. Secondly, if the situation cannot be solved through a colleague, I
will proceed and file the matter with the office through the legal procedure. Thirdly, I would
disclose all the required evidence to support my claim to the management so that legal action is
taken against the colleague and prevent ruining the reputation of the Victorian Department of
Justice. Lastly, I will seek for justice for people implicated in the case published through the
legal procedure. This will ensure that I maintain my professional standard and ethical values that
require accountability, honesty, integrity, and rule of law (Erin, 2015).
Conclusion
In conclusion ethical values and standard play an important role in legal practice and
access to justice. Application of ethical and professional values in the justice field ensures access
to justice and the rule of law. Moreover, upholding ethics in justice environment increase
confidence and professional reputation that is required in legal practice. Professional misconduct,
on the other hand, reduces confidence bestowed upon justice practitioners and ruin future justice
professional practice. Operation within the legal and ethical standard that is expected of a justice
employee remains key to access to justice.

MANAGEMENT 8
Reference
Chesterton, G.K. (2014). The GK Chesterton Collection: The Defendant, London: Catholic Way
Publishing.
Erin, B. (Dec. 17, 2015). Lawyer Will Have to Explain Informant ID Release, Charleston
Gazette-Mail. Retrieved from http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20151217/lawyer-
will-have-to-explain-informant-id-release.
Jo-Marí, V. & Van Zyl IV, C. H. (2016). Legal Ethics, Rules of Conduct and the Moral Compass
– Considerations from a Law Student's Perspective. Potchefstroom Electronic Law
Journal, 19 (1). Doi. 10.17159/1727-3781/2016/v19i0a795.

MANAGEMENT 9
Kiefel, S. (26-27, March 2010). Ethics and the Profession of the Lawyer Unpublished
contribution delivered at the Queensland Law Societies. The Vincents' 48th Annual
Symposium, Brisbane. High Court of Australia. Retrieved from
http://www.hcourt.gov.au/assets/publications/speeches/current-justices/kiefelj/kiefelj-
2010-03-26.pdf
Maphumulo, S. (31 August 2014). NPA Official's Office Raided by His Own Colleagues.
Sunday Independent. Retrieved from https://www.iol.co.za/news/npa-mans-office-raided-
by-his-colleagues-1743540
North Carolina State Bar, (2015). Formal Ethics Opinions 2014-5. Retrieved from. Retrieved
from https://www.ncbar.gov/for-lawyers/ethics/adopted-opinions/2014-formal-ethics-
opinion-5/
New York City Law Association, (2013). Ethics Opinions 745, New York City Law Association
https://www.nycla.org/siteFiles/Publications/Publications1630_0.pdf
Slabbert, M. (2011). The Requirement of Being a 'Fit and Proper' Person for the Legal
Profession. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 1, 209-231
Van Zyl, C. & Visser, J. (2016). Legal Ethics, Rules of Conduct and the Moral Compass -
Considerations from a Law Student's Perspective" PER / Potchefstroom Electronic Law
Journal (19), DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2016/v19ni0a795
Van Zyl, D.H. (2010). Ciceronian Virtues and Values in Contextual Perspective. Supplement 3,
47-69
Venter, Z. (5 August 2013). Sisulu Attorney is Struck from the Roll. Star, Waldner City Press.

MANAGEMENT
10
Whitear-Nel, N. & Freedman, W. (2015). Historical Review of the Development of the Post-
Apartheid South African LLB Degree –with Particular Reference to Legal Ethics.
Fundamina, 1, 234-250