Noble cause corruption

Noble cause corruption is corruption caused by the adherence to a teleological ethical system, suggesting that people will use unethical or illegal means to attain desirable goals,[1] a result which appears to benefit the greater good. Where traditional corruption is defined by personal gain,[2] noble cause corruption forms when someone is convinced of their righteousness, and will do anything within their powers to achieve the desired result. An example of noble cause corruption is police misconduct "committed in the name of good ends"[3] or neglect of due process through "a moral commitment to make the world a safer place to live."[4] The knowing misconduct by a law enforcement officer or prosecutor with the goal of attaining what the officer believes is a "just" result.

Conditions for such corruption usually occur where individuals feel no administrative accountability and lose faith in the criminal justice system.[5] These conditions can be compounded by arrogance and weak supervision.[6]

  1. ^ Bayley, Bruce. "Noble cause corruption: Do the ends justify the means?". PoliceOne. Noble cause corruption is a teleological (ends-oriented) approach to an ethical dilemma that says law enforcement professionals will utilize unethical, and sometimes illegal, means to obtain a desired result.
  2. ^ Rothlein, Steve. "Noble Cause Corruption". Public Agency Training Council. Traditional corruption is defined as the use of one's official position for personal gain. The personal gain can be economic or otherwise, such as sexual favors. As a profession, we have long understood this type of abuse of power and, when discovered and investigated, those involved are arrested.
  3. ^ Martinelli, Thomas. "Noble Cause Corruption". Ethics in Policing. Noble cause corruption in policing is defined as "corruption committed in the name of good ends, corruption that happens when police officers care too much about their work.
  4. ^ John Crank, Dan Flaherty, Andrew Giacomazzi, The noble cause: An empirical assessment
  5. ^ "Thomas J. Martinelli, Unconstitutional Policing: The Ethical Challenges in Dealing with Noble Cause Corruption". Police Chief Magazine. Officers rationalize this misconduct because cynicism has built up, the department lacks morale and leadership, and the individual lacks faith in the criminal justice system.
  6. ^ Martinelli, J.D., M.S., Thomas,J. "Noble Cause Corruption". Ethics in Policing. Arrogance and weak supervision contribute to the degree of noble cause corruption found in any police organisation or unit.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)