Rules of Professional Conduct

Members of the Canadian Identification Society,

with respect to their responsibilities to the Society, shall:

• comply with the By-laws of the Society;
  
• find it appropriate to report to the Board any violation of these "Rules of Professional Conduct" by another member of the Society;
  
• recognize that their membership in the Society demonstrates an active interest in forensic identification; however, this membership does not, by itself, mean that they are qualified in their forensic identification discipline;

with respect to their responsibilities to their client, employer or to the court, shall:

• treat all information obtained with the confidentiality required;
  
• treat all objects or items of potential evidential value with the care and control necessary to ensure their integrity;
  
• ensure that all items receive appropriate technical analysis;
  
• utilize standards and controls to conduct examinations and analyses;
  
• utilize only those techniques and methods which are known to be accurate and reliable;
  
• make full and complete disclosure of all findings to the investigating agency/officer;
  
• make and keep worknotes on all items, the examinations done, the results obtained and the findings and conclusions made at the time;
  
• render opinions and conclusions strictly in accordance with the evidence in the case and only to the extent justified by that evidence;
  
• testify in a clear, straightforward manner and refuse to extend themselves beyond their field of competence or expertise;
  
• not exaggerate, embellish or otherwise misrepresent qualifications when testifying;
  
• maintain an attitude of independence and impartiality in order to ensure an unbiased analysis of the evidence;
  

with respect to their responsibilities to the profession of forensic identification, shall:

• carry out the duties of the profession in such a manner so as to inspire the confidence of the public;
  
• regard and respect their peers with the same standards that they hold for themselves;
  
• strive to maintain and improve their skills and knowledge and to keep current with advances in their discipline.