Verified Document

Ethics Of Deception During Investigations Essay

Ethics and Investigation: The Use of Deception The following study identifies the ethical codes of conduct required in any form of service especially in the government and ways it can be breached. The particular situations under which such codes are violated include during criminal investigations and interrogations. This is discussed alongside the debate on whether it is ethically correct to use deception and lies during investigations. Finally, the paper gives a judgment on whether the investigators are justified to breach the code of ethics during investigative missions. A definition of two contrasting schools of thought known as the ontological ethics and deontological ethics is also given at the introduction section.

Introduction

Criminal investigation is one very complex field of administration globally. Ideally, the subject being dealt with touches on some of the most serious offences punishable according to the laws of any jurisdiction. As a result, culprits will likely prefer to die with the secrets of the crime rather than revealing them. It is common knowledge that dishonesty exists among the potential sources of information that can lead to possible arrests for those engaging in criminal activities. The members of the public who might be privy of the crucial information relating to the criminals will chose to remain silent and uncooperative to the investigators in most instances (Long, Fox, & York, 2007). Perhaps, they fear of reprisal attacks from the criminals. Deontological ethics dictates that people ought to act according to the set laws as a moral requirement without question. However, ontological...

It is even considered a serious offence for people holding public offices to lie. For instance, an accused person when making submissions before a court of law is expected to speak the truth and only the truth. It is further taken to the point where one has to swear in front of the court that the information they are giving is correct to the best of their knowledge. In contrast, the prosecutor always works under explicit instructions to provide truthful information about the matters pertaining to the suspect.
However, despite the high requirements for speaking the truth in most of the society's forums, it is almost impossible to do away with the use of lies. Lying appears "prudent and acceptable" when one is forced to cooperate with the enemy as a way of protecting one's life. If a criminal were to coerce someone to divulge some information that may cause harm to the victim directly or to other third parties, the society would expect the victim in question to lie. Some scholars refer to it as "a white lie."

During police investigations as well, the police investigators are not only allowed to lie but they are encouraged to do so. A detective becomes very useful when he/she operates under a disguise. For the detective to disguise himself/herself effectively, lying is not an option. Most of the detectives will assume roles that are very different from their usual ones as well as speaking…

Sources used in this document:
References

Braswell, M.C., & McCarthy, B.R. (2008). Justice, Crime and Ethics (6th ed.). Burlington: Elsevier Science.

Long, D.S., Fox, N.R., & York, T. (2007). Calculated Futures Theology, Ethics, And Economics. Waco, Tex.: Baylor University Press.

Ryberg, J. (2004). The Ethics Of Proportionate Punishment: A Critical Investigation. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Ethics and Management and Ethics
Words: 17336 Length: 55 Document Type: Research Proposal

Therefore, corporations have had to change their viewpoints and start looking at the long-term consequences of their behavior, as well as looking at the bottom line. Businesses also have to be concerned because consumers have also become aware of environmental concerns, and many consumers are demanding earth-friendly products and have shown a willingness to pay more money to competitors who observe environmentally-friendly practices. Interestingly enough, this demand has given rise

Ethics Self-Assessment
Words: 809 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Ethics in Health Care The role of ethics within the medical profession is extremely important and it is extremely necessary to abide by a high standard of ethical behavior while working in this industry. The trust that patients and people place within the medical profession dictates this high level of ethical behavior. The purpose of this essay is to examine the influence of individual ethics on decision making the health care

Ethics in Law Enforcement "Sometimes Police Officers
Words: 1373 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Ethics in Law Enforcement "Sometimes [police officers] may, and sometimes may not, lie when conducting custodial interrogations. Investigative and interrogatory lying are each justified on utilitarian crime control grounds. Police are never supposed to lie as witnesses in the courtroom, although they may lie for utilitarian reasons similar to those permitting deception & #8230;" (Skolnick, et al., 1992) Is it ethical for law enforcement officers to use deception during the interrogation process?

Ethics to Practice: Analysis of 'End of
Words: 2858 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

Ethics to Practice: Analysis of 'end of life' decision making The foregoing discussion is an incursion into nursing ethics. Implication(s) to 'omission' of information as a customary practice within our healthcare institution is reviewed in relation to best practices pertaining to 'informed consent,' and hospital policy is not definitive. Directed at the evolution of ethical decision making, the general query to the study focuses on the parameters of informed consent where

Ethics and Morality Obtaining the
Words: 1945 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

He has already placed himself under a cloud of suspicion by the community, and while he still possess the same essential rights, he cannot be regarded deserving of the same attention as the boy. Cappa's rights must be respected to the fullest because he, in so far as anyone knows, has always respected the rights of others. Smoot has not. The temporary abridgment of Smoot's rights in order to

Ethics on Sports "It Is
Words: 5409 Length: 15 Document Type: Research Proposal

D., What is Altitude Training section). The Website promoting products that Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems offers, reports that when a person is exposed to hypoxia, oxygen reduced environments, his/her body "struggles to produce required amounts of energy with less available oxygen. This struggle triggers the onset of a range of physiological adaptations geared towards enhancing the efficiency of the body's respiratory, cardiovascular and oxygen utilization systems" (Hypoxico Altitude Training, N.D.,

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now