Research paper on Law: Codes of practice

Code A

Any statesman or police officer should avoid cover-up and inform law enforcement agencies of any case of cover-up that the statesman and police officer should report about the case. This provision is essential to make the Statute working. In fact, the key point is to stimulate individuals to avoid covering up and to inform the law enforcement agencies about cases of cover-up. In such a way, the Statute can prevent the occurrence of illegal activities and, more important, the Statute will actually make cover-up illegal. The problem is that often individuals involved in cover-up are forced to such activities and they are willing to uncover or to avoid such activities but, as they see there is nothing wrong with covering up, they cannot stand the pressure and agree to covering up. After the introduction of the Statute, they will confront the double pressure, since on the one hand, their colleagues may push on them, for instance, while on the other hand, the law will force them to inform of any cases of cover-up. Hence, they will face a risk of legal liability, if they refuse avoiding cover-up or if they know of cases of covering up but fail to inform law enforcement agencies of such cases.

Code B

Any case of cover-up should be investigated in-depth, while parties involved in the case, who are suspects, should not perform their professional duties as long as the investigation lasts. In fact, cover-ups occur mainly because individuals, who use cover-ups, perform their functions and misuse their position to conduct cover-ups successfully. If they are discharged for the time of the investigation, they cannot influence the investigation as much as they can, when they stay on their positions. As a result, investigators have larger opportunities for the in-depth, accurate and effective investigation to complete. Hence, cases of cover-up can be investigated successfully without any pressure from the part of parties involved in the cases.

Code C

Results of the investigation should become available to the public after the end of the investigation. The publicity is crucial for the successful investigation of cover-ups. For instance, the Hillsborough case is notorious for the recent discovery of the truth about the case and the scope of cover-ups. In fact, the entire case now looks like a conspiracy, while the publicity of the investigation of the case and uncovering of its results could reveal cover-ups that had been used by police officers, health care professionals and the authorities to hide their inability to prevent the tragedy, to cope with its negative effects and just to hide their legal liability for the tragedy.

Code D

In case the investigation reveals any facts of covering up, the parties responsible for, directly or indirectly involved in the cover-up are liable to the legal prosecution, they have to be dismissed from their position, and they will not have the right to have any position in the public or law enforcement office. In fact, the legal prosecution of parties involved in cover-ups is essential because the legal prosecution is what may make the cover-up the crime, which people are unwilling to commit. The legal ban of cover-up without the prospect of the legal prosecution will make the Statute absolutely useless in regard to the prevention of cover-ups in the future.

Amendments

Amendments can be introduced into the current statute respectively to existing legal norms and rules. However, the amendments cannot ban the prosecution of cover-up. Otherwise, the amendments would contradict to the essence of the statute and, therefore, they would denounce the statute. Hence, such amendments are unacceptable and cannot be implemented to the current statute.

Conclusion

Thus, the introduction of the new Anti-Cover-Up Statute is essential to prevent cases of cover-up in the US. At the moment, the existing legislation cannot cope with cover-ups that leads to such cases as the Hillsborough case or the Jimmy Savile scandal. The ne Statute should make cover-ups illegal and make parties involved in cover-ups legally liable for their actions or inaction. In such a way, the cover-up should be treated as a crime that implies the legal prosecution.

 

 



Leave a Reply