Code of Ethics

(Revised January 2005)

No detailed Code of Ethics can prescribe the conduct appropriate under any and all circumstances. Often the choice lies between two or more evils rather than between an action which is patently right and one which is obviously wrong. It may be that, in certain situations, a member could not possibly comply with all articles of this Code simultaneously. He/she should then try to satisfy the basic aims of this Code as far as possible even if to do so involved a breach of the letter of the rules.

Therefore this Code shall be interpreted within the following guiding principles:

The Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you”) shall be used as the governing criterion conduct.
Loyalty to basic professional ideals shall be paramount to technical breaches of this code. Conversely, actions which are within the letter of these articles but which violate commonly accepted standards of honourable conduct shall be considered breaches of professional ethics.
No less weight shall be given to the motive for a course of action than is given to the action itself. Contrived evasions of these articles may be more culpable than overt acts of omission or commission. On the other hand, honourable errors of judgment are not in themselves unethical, and therefore their results should be judged with charity, understanding, and justice rather than by a strict observance of the written word alone.

Complete Printable version (PDF): ARPFNB Code of Ethics