Running Head: ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE PRACTISE

Ethics is a collective word than can be used to define some human behaviour which is

said to have some moral in it. However it should be known that when it comes to ethics, a

good or bad character pops in. ethical behaviour is founded on the ability of us humans to

make our own free choices. It’s out of the free will to reason the cause of action to take that

determines whether a behaviour will be termed ethical or not. To understand ethics, one can

start by assuming a behaviour that can be termed as morally neutral. An example would be

deciding to be disciplined and waking up early the following morning. On the other hand, one

may decide to do the opposite and lazily wake up later in the day. For both cases, they may

be termed as purely harmless based on the fact that one may wake up early only to do some

piece of work at their own pace while the other person may be a little bit fast and accomplish

the same task even after delaying in bed for some hours.

When ethical behaviour is mentioned, one cannot be ignorant on the fact that a few

exceptions are allowed and such actions are exempted from criminal responsibility. A

mentally ill person or a child is an example of such exceptions. This is because such persons

are said to lack the ability to understand the consequence that may fall on them for

conducting themselves is such an unethical manner. They lack the capacity to contemplate

and comprehend the impact of one’s actions.

While ethics tries to concentrate on the study of morality, that is what constituted

good conduct, one ought to understand what morals are. They may be termed as a good
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behaviour or a behaviour that is accepted by society. Good morals stretch way beyond the

law. It involves a consistent and unsupervised behaviour regardless of what the law demands.

One may be walking across the street only to notice the person in front of them drop

their wallet. In such a situation, one can make a choice to notify the other person or pick the

wallet and keep it. In terms of the law, it doesn’t demand the person noticing the wallet to

notify the owner and such a person cannot be prosecuted for not doing so. However, a person

of good character who persistently and continuously practices a good conduct knows it is

expected of them to notify the owner of the wallet. Such persons don’t do that because it’s

punishable by the law. They deliberately make that choice simply because they know and

understand that it’s the right thing to do. They would one day wish that the same will be done

to them if such a situation arises and they were the ones losing their wallet.

Morals are built out of one’s values. For better understanding, one ought to

understand what values are. They are one’s personal judgements based on facts. They are

judgements of worth of attitudes, statements and behaviour. While factual judgements are

verified through observations and describe something, value judgements characterise

something by making evaluative statements about it. Such judgments vary from one person to

the other and may be largely influenced by how they were brought up and the values they

grew to appreciate, adore accept. The law may have had its own demands then and even now,

but what one really accepts and feels to be right is what shapes and determines whether such

a person will act morally and with responsibility.

In every situation there exists a choice. Not making a choice is a choice in itself.

Based on ethical behaviour, critical thinking comes in to play when the right choice ought to

be made. Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate facts and viewpoints offered with an

objective of establishing the true worth and merits of such pieces of information or conduct.
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It is so ironical in life today that most of the things that are rewarded heavily and praised such

as power and wealth are unworthy of ethical behaviour. They literally force a “well mannered

and bred” person to step out of their ethical behaviour simply to attain such Earthly rewards.

In such a situation, it takes one strength and grace to turn the other way than simply mere

ethical action. Temptation slowly paralyses ethical behaviour and one may willingly make

the wrong choice and decision purely for the immoral reward that comes with the choice.

Such person may not be categorised as of bad character but a consequence of temptation. He

or she may have been morally okay and upright all their life but fall short of such in one or

two instances. One may argue that such a person is not worth of good conduct. They would

be right to make such claims. For a single slip out of the right way can tarnish the many years

of good and acceptable character. But then one cannot fail to ask who is purely and entirely

moral? Aren’t we humans born of temptation and doomed by our free will and choice? It’s

what life offers at times that determine whether one chooses to hold on to good character or

otherwise. It’s purely determined by “grace and strength.”

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References

Leighton, P., & Reiman, J. (2009). Criminal justice ethics. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice

Hall.

Slobogin, C. (2012). American Criminal Justice Exposed. Criminal Justice Ethics, 31(1), 42-

52. doi:10.1080/0731129x.2012.656188

Yule, W. (2011). Psychology, ethics and change. Behaviour Research And Therapy, 27(3),

315. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(89)90067-3