Introduction
Integrity is something inherently personal, yet also is something broad, even overwhelming. It may stem from a single person, but it envelops almost every part of our society, every department of government, runs in the veins of every philosophical thought. Therefore, integrity also plays a major part in the legal system and is studied thoroughly both from an ethical and legal perspective. That is why this work will discuss integrity as a whole, will provide the author’s opinion on the subject, and also highlight different interpretations of the term from various academics, while studying its place in the criminal justice system.
Defining Integrity
When discussing Integrity from the perspective of any science or discipline, it still will always be about wholesomeness. It is a crucial part of the development of any person; it can be both inspiration and motivation. From a personal point of view, integrity is an amalgam of ethics and morals that shapes one’s outlook on life. It is also a backbone that keeps a person strictly on a path of his principles.
Integrity is also honesty, yet not honesty in its broadest and simplest sense. Integrity, first and foremost, is being honest with oneself. It is plausible to say that Integrity is truthfulness; the truthfulness of one’s character. From the position of behavioral science, integrity is both the accuracy and precision of action. It is the consistency of one’s behavior. Having the developed system of personal values and beliefs, being able to follow those beliefs thoroughly, is what integrity is all about. True integrity is not stagnant. Value systems can improve, beliefs can be broadened, a character can develop new principles, but an ethical core of a person will remain the same while adjusting to the new experience by spiritual fundamentals.
In my opinion, integrity is always a virtue. According to Ridge (2015), “Integrity is often mentioned as a requirement for leaders in general” (pp. 52). But, objectively speaking, integrity may devolve into something despicable, even harmful. The lowest parts of integrity are stubbornness and selfishness. One can say that the extreme manifestation of integrity is zeal. Without no sense or responsibility, overbearing integrity can shape the very narrow mind.
My personal belief is that integrity is all about willpower. The willpower to follow through. To me, it is not even about the righteousness of one’s judgment; it is about doing what you think is right. Being unflinching, even before the huge amount of adversaries; following your vision, even when nobody supports you. This is integrity for me. It is an important part of my character. What use do I have for all of my knowledge if I do not have enough confidence to apply it? What is my belief, if never follow it? There is no point in accumulating experience if I cannot form a solid spiritual base with it.
Different Interpretations of Integrity
A lot of attention is given to integrity in different academic circles. For example, as Ridge (2015) states in his work. “Integrity is not a value by itself, but rather the level of fit between an individual’s decisions and behaviors and his or her relationship to the values and morals of the communities in which he or she lives and works” (pp. 52). I can agree with this interpretation of the term. Truly, our character, in general, is not developed separately from our surroundings. This interpretation is also significant in the context of this work since the legal system is the multi-layered framework, which involves myriads of different people in different positions.
According to Ratner (2016), ethical integrity is the virtue of both competence and independence, followed by the trust. Again, I find this position quite reasonable. To be competent is to be sure of one’s skill. To be independent is to be sure in one’s judgment. Being able to trust in your knowledge and to be precise about your judgment is what I would call a fine example of integrity.
Allan (2014), on the other hand, sees integrity as the symbiosis of fairness and respect. Certainly, a solid approach to this subject. To be fair and just, one must have a developed system of beliefs. To know right from wrong, a character must be able to evaluate and compare situations with his principles. And to show respect, a person must have a unified framework of values, to be able to relate to another individual. All of the aforementioned interpretations, even though quite different, still complement each other nicely and also go in line with my understanding of integrity.
Integrity in Criminal Justice System
When studying the subject of integrity from the perspective of the philosophy of law, it becomes obvious why integrity has such a pivotal and controversial place in the current conceptualization of law. Evaluating the integrity of some field or profession is a complex task. According to Ridge (2015), “Integrity is adherence to the interrelated sets of standards, values, and principles derived from the three domains that affect our decisions and behavior: personal, professional, and organizational” (pp. 52). The integrity of a professional is not something that is personally his. If a person enters into a highly organized structure, his ethical framework becomes the ethical framework of that structure. As Ratner (2016) notes in his work, “the primary function of a judge is to uphold the rule of law” (pp. 153). To pass the judgment by the law, it is not enough to simply know the legal system. Judges must interpret the law based on fairness. As Allan (2014) states in his paper, “a judge cannot be a mere technician, deciding cases without regard for moral principle: his own personal moral and political convictions are necessarily engaged” (pp. 1). To be able to judge with the principle of justice, one must have this principle engraved in his system of values. That is why integrity is important for any judge in any branch; and doubly so in the criminal justice system, where people’s lives depend on the right decision.
I think that the most pressing integrity issue in the criminal justice system today is the lack of fairness. Judges may become susceptible to bias, which can become dangerous to the population as a whole. To tackle this issue, it is required to perform a major cultural change. As noted before, integrity is not something people develop on their own; it is also shaped by their surroundings. So, to transform judiciaries, the whole society must be transformed at first. The values of respect and responsibility must be nurtured across the whole culture.
Conclusion
Integrity is the presence of the developed system of beliefs and the ability to follow through with those beliefs. A lot of different academic studies are dedicated to the subject of integrity. It is an important part of a character and an important quality of a judge. That is why integrity issues are a severe threat to the creditability and professionalism of the criminal justice system. In my opinion, if society as a whole can be taught the virtues of ethical integrity, it will help to improve the integrity of the legal system also.
References
Allan, T. R. S. (2014). Justice, Integrity, and the Common Law. Legal Studies Research Paper Series, 14(44), 1-9.
Ratner, M. A. (2016). Judicial Ethical Integrity: Challenges and Solutions. Hastings International and Comparative Law Review, 39(1), 149-160.
Ridge, R. A. (2015). Putting the I in Integrity. Nursing Management, 46(4), 52-54.