Introduction
This document describes the code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct of the members of the Canadian Information Processing Society, with respect to their professional activities. It should not be construed to deny the existence of other ethical or legal obligations equally imperative, although not specifically mentioned.
First, the general standards and high ideals of the members of CIPS are described in the form of a Code of Ethics. Second, specific rules, the Standards of Conduct, elaborate each element of the Code in a manner which assists determination of whether or not specific activities of an individual violate the Code. They are intended to establish a minimum acceptable level of conduct, below which an individual may be said to be unethical. Third, there is a procedure which details the steps the society will follow in determining whether or not a violation of the rules has occurred, what disciplinary action is possible, and under what circumstances information will be released.
In total, this document describes the professional behaviour that members of CIPS demand of themselves and their peers. All members agree to live up to these standards when they join the Society, and reaffirm this commitment each time they renew their membership.
The Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct deal with matters that are subject to judgement and are difficult to state absolutely. They contain words such as "authority", "competence", and "faithful" which must be judged in light of the professional and moral standards in effect at a given time and place. The enforcement procedures require peers to interpret the areas requiring judgement at the specific time of the complaint using the guidelines contained in this document.