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On August 29, 2007, The Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) adopted a Code of Professional Ethics for Compliance and Ethics Professionals. “With this Code of Professional Ethics, the SCCE today has taken an essential and vital step in establishing the compliance and ethics profession,” said Roy Snell, Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics Chief Executive Officer.

“The Code of Professional Ethics will become the bedrock upon which the compliance and ethics profession stands,” said Joseph E. Murphy, CCEP, of Counsel, CSLG and Code of Ethics Development Committee Co-Chair

The Code’s purpose is to provide guidance and rules to all Compliance and Ethics Professionals (CEP) in the performance of their professional responsibilities.

In creating the Code of Professional Ethics, the SCCE establishes both overarching principles to guide compliance officials and rules of conduct, which represent specific standards that prescribe the minimum level of professional conduct expected of CEPs.

The Code’s preamble states: “Compliance and Ethics Professionals understand that the services we provide require the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and competence. The Code of Ethics expresses the profession’s recognition of its responsibilities to the general public, to employers and clients, and to the profession.”

“This Code is the expressed commitment to professionalism in the worldwide community of compliance and ethics professionals,” added Rebecca Walker, Partner, Kaplan & Walker LLP, who co-chaired the SCCE Code of Ethics Development Committee.

“We are very pleased to introduce this voluntary code, which offers important guidance to compliance and ethics professionals,” said Snell.

PDFs of the SCCE Code of Professional Ethics are available free of charge in several languages.