The Role of an Ethics Committee in Guiding In-House Counsel Through the Legal Minefield

Abstract

Once it is suggested that a lawyer or an organisation that they work for is unethical, there is little that can be done to stop the inevitable tide of censure and rebuke. Acting unethically – whether intentionally or inadvertently and “getting it wrong”, can have dire implications. For an individual breaching ethical duties there is the risk of regulatory censure. More significantly, for the organisation that those individuals work for, questions are likely to be asked about a lack of compliance culture and, in the worst case, whether the organisation is fit to provide services, whether that be commercially or in the public sector.