Ethical issues in criminal justice cover a wide variety of social issues. The ethical issues guide on what laws to be implemented and the consequences of contravening them. Many a time, before the enactment of specific laws, a situation that makes it hard to decide without harming a party arises. Such situations are considered an ethical dilemma. The harm may be informed of morality, ethics, fairness, or humanity (Pollock, 2016) . As such, one needs a guiding principle that consists of a set of questions. For instance one should consider the following four questions: Thus questions on the completeness of information, effects on stakeholders, applicable law, and harm and benefits should be the guiding framework.
The first question to ask in a personal ethical dilemma is whether all the information at hand complete and accurate. Accuracy of information is a major point for concern for many stakeholders that are affected by a decision. As such, a justification from all the concerned stakeholders of the completeness and accuracy of the information is paramount in making a decision when faced with an ethical dilemma.
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Another important question that one should ask when faced with a personal ethical dilemma is: What is the effect of the decision on the stakeholders? The effect of the decision on the stakeholders may require one to put himself in the situation of the stakeholders before analysis of the impact of the various form of decision (Torres & Preskill, 1999) . As such, one is able to know no how much harm or good the outcome of the decision is likely to cause.
Law does not cover all aspects of an organization. However, there is always a close relationship between the law and a presented personal ethical dilemma. As such, it is prudent for one to find out what the law states about the presented ethical dilemma. Thus one will be mindful not to make a decision that breaks the law. Breaking the law has a defined consequence that is likely to negatively impact on the organization and the decision-maker.
Finally, one should ask themselves about the benefits and harm of the perceived decision of a personal ethical dilemma. After going through the three questions above, one develops a rough idea of the decision they are likely to make. A Fry et al., (2008) notes a further refinement of the outcome of the ethical dilemma should maximize the benefits and minimize harm.
In conclusion, questions on the completeness of information, effects on stakeholders, applicable law, and harm and benefits should be the guiding framework in making a decision on an ethical dilemma. The completeness of information prevents critics from the outcome based on flawed information. The applicable law forms the baseline of the decision ruling out options that are against the law. It is also important to evaluate the stakeholders and consider the effect of the decision on them. Finally, it is prudent to maximize the good and minimize the harm of a decision.
References
Fry, C., Khoshnood, K., Power, R., & Sharma, M. (2008). Harm reduction ethics: Acknowledging the values and beliefs behind our actions. International Journal Of Drug Policy , 19 (1), 1-3. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.drugpo.2007.12.001
Pollock, J. (2016). Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice (9th ed., p. 9). Cengage Learning.
Torres, R., & Preskill, H. (1999). Ethical dimensions of stakeholder participation and evaluation use. New Directions For Evaluation , 1999 (82), 57-66. https://doi.org/10.1002/ev.1137
