About Us
Ethics Complaints & Enquiries
Complaints concerning ethical or professional practice by PRIA members are always fully investigated. This is is the responsibility of the PRIA's Ethics Committee, an eight-member Council of the PRIA College of Fellows. The College has a general brief of guardianship of the Code of Ethics.
How the PRIA handles ethics complaints and enquiries
Because there is no law requiring public relations practitioners to be registered, licensed or accredited – as there is for doctors, dentists, lawyers and plumbers, for example – there is no statutory penalty for misconduct or professional negligence as a public relations practitioner.
Nor, at present are there any Federal or State regulations which apply specifically to public relations practice. However the PRIA has a Code of Ethics which all members must observe, and a Code of Conduct which applies to the PRIA’s Registered Consultancies Group members.
The PRIA has a nationally uniform procedure for dealing in a professional, rigorous and fair manner with allegations of breaches of the Code of Ethics, with requests for investigation of dubious practices, and, of course, with proven complaints.
The Procedure
To summarise key provisions in the procedure:
Complaints and requests must be made in writing to a PRIA office, preferably the national office whose address is on this website.
All complaints concerning ethics are fully investigated. This is the responsibility of the Ethics Committee, which is an eight-member Council of the College of Fellows. The College has a general brief of guardianship of the Code of Ethics.
- The Ethics Committee reports its findings, and recommendations on action, including penalties if applicable, to the national Board which has ultimate responsibility to determine the outcome.
- The Ethics Committee has discretion as to how it deals with a complaint. In some cases all the necessary evidence, statements by the parties involved, and their responses to question, can be compiled by correspondence and interviews. But there may be as well (or instead) a semi-formal hearing, at which parties cannot be represented but each may appear and be assisted by one advisor.
- Although non-legalistic in approach, the procedure aims to ensure natural justice (procedural fairness) for the person(s) named in a complaint, for the complainant (whether or not a PRIA member) and for any witnesses.
- The Ethics Committee may appoint an inquiry panel to investigate a complaint. Such a panel normally includes at least one Ethics Committee member as well as other Fellows of PRIA, and may included one or more invited experts such as a professional ethicist or other specialist. Inquiry panels submit their reports to the chair of the Ethics Committee.
- In examination of the facts of a case, the standard of proof required is "on the balance of probabilities", as in a civil lawsuit, not "beyond reasonable doubt".
- Any member of the Ethics Committee or an inquiry panel who becomes aware of an actual or possible conflict of interest in connection with an investigation must stand down from that investigation and avoid any further involvement with it.
- Action is taken in response only to written complaints or requests, though a report or question may have first been conveyed orally to a PRIA office or office-bearer. In any event action by the Ethics Committee begins only after a written complaint or request reaches the National Secretary of the PRIA and is then referred to the Committee by the National Board.
- If legal action results from the incident or conduct complained of, the PRIA will not begin or continue an investigation until that legal action concludes. (The outcome of such legal action may, of course, determine or influence how PRIA subsequently deals with the matter.)
- Resignation from PRIA by a member under investigation does not prevent the inquiry from continuing to its conclusion.
- Proper records of all complaints, requests, investigations and Board decisions are maintained by the Ethics Committee and the National Secretary.
- Apart from issuing a warning, the Board has constitutional power to impose these penalties:
- censure;
- a fine;
- suspension of membership for a specific period; and
- expulsion. - Where an offender is punished by a fine, suspension or expulsion, the offender’s name and the penalty imposed shall be suitably publicised – the Board has discretion as to how, in each case, the term ‘suitably publicised’ is to be interpreted.
- Before reaching a conclusion, the Board is required under the constitution to give the member concerned 30 days notice of, and the opportunity to be heard at, the Board meeting at which a resolution for disciplinary action against the member is to be put.
Code of Ethics Administration Procedure Manual
The procedure outlined above, developed by the College of Fellows, is based in part on the experience in recent years of the College Council, sitting as the Ethics Committee, in dealing with various complaints and related ethical issues.
The national Board has approved publication of the procedure as the PRIA’s Code of Ethics Administration Procedure Manual. The manual’s purpose and availability will be publicised within the public relations community, related industries, relevant educational institutions and business and professional associations.
The PRIA Code of Ethics Administration Procedures Manual spells out how the PRIA deals with alleged breaches of its Code of Ethics and is subject to continual review.
Making an ethics complaint or request
No particular format need be followed. The letter, fax or email must, of course, supply sufficient detail of the allegation or request being made, together with the name and contact details of the sender. The complaint must set out:
- name/s of member/s or individual/s
- name of company / organisation - address if known or at least the city or town
- a brief description of the incident or practice complained of
- date or period when incident or practice took place
- copies of any documents relevant should be attached to the letter.
Download the Code of Ethics Administration Procedures Manual here.