Ethics
In my opinion, I would define ethics as critical and structured codes of conduct that dictate how individuals behave as regards how they should constrain the pursuit of self-interests if their actions affect those of others. In this regard, I consider ethics as a set of rules that distinguish between the right and wrong. However, some define ethics as codes of professional conduct or religious creed and related wise aphorisms like the Hippocratic Oath, the Ten Commandments and the Confucius’ quotes. In the context of criminal justice, ethics is a set of legal rules referred to as laws that stem from the legally accepted moral standards and dictates the behaviors of those in authority. Therefore, honesty, fairness, sincerity, legitimacy, and confidentiality are important aspects of ethics that ensure collective social responsibility and eliminate discrimination in a just society.
Examples of ethical dilemmas in criminal justice course
Most law enforcement officers find it difficult to make the right choices that comply with the recommendations of ethical practices within the justice system probably due to unclear-cut cases at hand. I have personally handled two ethical dilemmas concerning the right course of action and determination of the right sentence for a defendant. For instance, I encountered a situation whereby the right course of action was unclear since what seems to be right was quite challenging to effect while the wrong course of action appeared tempting. However, the most critical ethical dilemma I have ever had involved how to determine the right sentence for a convicted defendant in regards to his past criminal and personal background.
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How I resolved the ethical dilemmas
Recognizing the aforesaid ethical issues and conducting a thorough analysis of each one of them was the first step towards resolving them. I then identified the best possible consequences of my actions and the possible outcomes of the same based on the cause and effect relationships to arrive at logical conclusions. I kept the law constant and applied the concepts of ethics in interpreting the same policies; thus, minimizing the probable harms of my decisions and understanding the ripple repercussions of every decision for effective law enforcement.