To remain a profession, accountancy must be about the exercise of professional integrity and judgment. If we are driven down the road of simply ticking boxes to show that rules have been complied with, we will end up with a clerical activity that is carried out without thought, and possibly without regard to the special context of the business at hand.
Not only will this fail to attract people with intellect, but will also, inevitably from time to time, produce the wrong answers. No standard setter, no lawmaker is able to predict every likely situation. It is for this reason that we have constantly called for principles rather than rules in our standards. However, such an approach can only operate successfully if the principles are being applied by people with integrity and with the suitable skill, insight and application to do so effectively.