Ethics

Question 1

Define ethics

Answer 1

moral principles and a way of distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour

Question 2

how are ethics and legal principles related?

Answer 2

closely related an intertwined by are not exactly the same. They both focus on right and wrong and creating rules, but one can take primacy over the other. Just because it is legal, doesn’t mean that it is ethical

Question 3

What were ethics in the past based on?

Answer 3

Religion

Question 4

What reduced the power of religion?

Answer 4

After the Enlightenment, which saw the rise in science and scientific methodology

Question 5

What began the modern ethics debate?

Answer 5

1989 - Albert Neisser. Investigated syphilis using prostitutes as samples although they didn’t know what he was doing
WWII - Nazi experiments on prisoners who did not provide consent

Question 6

What are the aims of ethics within research?

Answer 6

To promote the aims of the research
Promote collaboration - work together and share findings
Ensure accountability
Ensure public support
Prevents harm during research by ensuring adherence to the legal system

Question 7

Examples of unethical research

Answer 7

Tuskegee Experiment
Willowbrook Study
Hwang Woo-Suk

Question 8

Tuskegee Experiment (1932 - 1972)

Answer 8

Purpose was to observe the natural history of untreated syphilis; the African-American men in the study were told they were receiving free health care. The were not told they had the disease and were simply told they would be treated for “bad blood”.
The men were told the study would only last for six months but it last for 40 years.
Funding for treatment was lost yet the study continued without informing the men that they would never be treated. None of the men were told that they had the disease, and none were treated with penicillin even after the antibiotic was proven to successfully treat syphilis.
People now have to give informed consent

Question 9

Willobrook study (1956 - 1972)

Answer 9

Children with learning difficulties were intentionally given hepatitis in an attempt to track the infection. This lead to protecting those with learning difficulties.

Question 10

Hwang Woo-Suk (South Korea 2003)

Answer 10

Claimed he has cloned embryonic stem cells of humans although his findings were fraudulent.
Ethical violations by using eggs from students and the black market

Question 11

What has all unethical research led to?

Answer 11

establishing overarching ethical codes e.g declaration Helsinki (1960s)

Question 12

Declaration of Helsinki (1960s)

Answer 12

set of ethical principles to ensure a certain level of ethical considerations when doing research

Question 13

Professional Ethics and Civil Morals (1957) (Book)

Answer 13

In 1957 Durkheim argued that a profession is

constituted partly through the development of an ethical tradition

Question 14

What is our identity as professionals dictated by?

Answer 14

Ethical debates that have occurred before

Question 15

Expert witnesses and ethics

Answer 15

Experts are specialists in various scientific fields who often have membership to a professional group who in turn have codes of ethics. However, should there be ethical codes covering ‘forensic’ work in order for research to be admissible in court

Question 16

Michael West - Bite mark specialist

Answer 16

Over 15 years testified is 71 cases in 9 states.
Claimed to pioneered a method of finding bit marks on bodies and matching them a person. Also claimed to be an expert in other areas such as tool mark analysis and crime scene examination.
Claimed only he could perform the method and it could not be tested by anyone else - big thing in court is that a method has to be scrutinised.
He was given a period of suspension for testing out-with his area of expertise
In 2001 he was tricked into matching crime scene photos of a bite mark with a dental mould
He figures in a number of miscarriages of justice linked directly to his claims

Question 17

Stuart Greenberg - Forensic Psychologist

Answer 17

In court could determine which parent got custody of a child, or whether a jury believed a claim of sexual assault. He built his career on hypocrisy and lies, and as a result, he destroyed lives, including his own

Question 18

Dr Waney Squires

Answer 18

Gave evidence in trials involving shaken baby syndrome. She gave deliberately misleading and dishonest evidence in trials.
Failed to work within the limits of her competence, to be objective and unbiased
Failed in her role as an expert witness

Question 19

New Jersey Crime Lab Technician

Answer 19

Falsified results

Question 20

Areas where forensic expert ethics have been shown to fail

Answer 20

• Experts as advocates for the client’s case - lack of independence
• Incentive based fees
• Reports written and opinions formed by assistants instead of the expert
• lack of objectivity
• selective use of evidence
• lack of requisite expertise
• failure to test the accuracy of materials presented to them
• following instructions from lawyers instructing them when it is clear on the face of it that what they are being asked to do will not result in a credible report under scrutiny.

Question 21

What did the NAS report do?

Answer 21

evaluated the ethics in forensic science and identified the lack of overarching ethics for forensic science and forensic scientists (although identified some groups or organisations did have a code of ethics)

• recommended an overarching code of ethics was created
• without this there is no enforceable universal code of ethics and therefore no process in place if a breach of ethical standards occurs

Question 22

Other codes of practice for experts

Answer 22

Code of Experts database
NIST - code of ethics and professional responsibility
- Provide universal codes for professional responsibility to increase the public confidence in the quality of forensic services
- you agree to follow these codes of practice if you sign up to or are part of a group or organisation