ETHICS COMMITTEE GUIDELINES

Guidelines for handling ethics matters:

A. All Ethics Committee matters shall be handled in accordance with the objectives and standards of the Associations Code of Professional Ethics.

B. Matters called to the attention of the Ethics Committee must be in writing and addressed to the Chairman or any member of the Ethics Committee. The ethics charge must be signed by the complainant and must contain a full statement of the matter to be reviewed by the Ethics Committee.

C. An individual filing an ethics complaint shall be advised that full disclosure of the complaint shall be made available to all parties concerned . At this time, the complainant has the right to withdraw the complaint; and thus, the matter will be closed.

D. The Ethics Committee, the complainant, and the defendant shall at all times during the investigation maintain strict confidentiality regarding the case.

E. The initial responsibility of the Ethics Committee is to determine the validity of the charge(s). If the charge(s) appear to be valid, the Ethics Committee shall initiate a full investigation. Once a full investigation is initiated, the Ethics Committee must determine if an Ethics Code violation has occurred and what action and/or penalty is necessary. In making its determination, the Ethics Committee shall consult, where necessary or appropriate, with legal counsel. The Ethics Committee has the responsibility to issue a judgement and recommend disciplinary actions. The CAZA Board of Directors has final authority.

F. The CAZA Board of Directors may also direct the Ethics Committee to perform additional duties as needed.

The following procedures are hereby established:

A. The Chairman of the Ethics Committee will distribute copies of all duly received ethics complaints to members of the Ethics Committee and the CAZA President. All correspondence pertaining to the case shall be marked “Confidential”. The Chairman shall request each Ethics Committee member to render an opinion as to the validity of the complaint and make a recommendation on how to proceed and action to be taken.

B. The Chairman shall review all recommendations, suggest an Ethics Committee action and, if necessary, arrange an appearance before the Ethics Committee and/or a site visitation.

C. The Ethics Committee may dismiss any charge for which there is insufficient evidence to pursue the investigation or for which there is no apparent violation of the Ethics Code. The complainant, defendant, and the Board of Directors shall be notified by the Ethics Committee of the decision.
The Ethics Committee may determine that there is no clear violation or proof of a violation, but that there is concern about the conduct of a member. The Ethics Committee may issue a letter of concern.
If the Ethics Committee determines that a violation of the Code has occurred, the following options shall be considered:

Letter of Reprimand from the Ethics Committee
Letter of Reprimand from the Ethics Committee and the CAZA Board of Directors
Censorship and suspension of certain member privileges (up to 2 years), to be determined on a case by case basis
Expulsion from CAZA membership for e minimum of two years.

The Ethics Committee may function as an investigative body as it determines whether or not a violation has occurred. the Ethics Committee shall make its determination based on the greater weight of the evidence presented to it. Ethics matters often do not involve legal matters but are founded on moral values and industry standards and practices. Where necessary or appropriate, the Ethics Committee shall consult with legal counsel.

D. The Ethics Committee shall deliberate, during a meeting or conference call, on the final determination and action to be taken. Actions by the Ethics Committee shall require a majority vote of its members. When a majority vote of guilty is not received the issue shall be dropped.

E. The Chairman of the Ethics Committee shall submit a report to the CAZA Board of Directors with the Ethics Committee’s findings and course of disciplinary action to be taken prior to advising the complainant and defendant.

F. The Chairman of the Ethics Committee shall advise the complainant and the defendant of the findings and action taken by the Ethics Committee.

G. An appeal may be made to the CAZA Board of Directors within thirty (30) days of the date of mailing the Ethics Committee decision to the complainant and defendant. Appeals may be granted if the CAZA Board of Directors concludes the the complainant or defendant appealing the Ethics Committee decision has demonstrated that:

there are new facts, not known at the time of the Ethics Committee investigation, which the CAZA Board of Directors believes may have changed the outcome; or
the Ethics Committee did not follow relevant CAZA procedures; or
the appellant demonstrates that the penalty recommended by the Ethics Committee was excessive under the circumstances.

Appeals shall be granted upon a majority vote of the CAZA Board of Directors. The CAZA Board of Directors shall hear the appeal at its next regularly scheduled meeting. The appellate decision of the Board of Directors shall be final and cannot be appealed.

H. At least one member of the Ethics Committee shall be present during the appeal.

I. The Ethics Committee shall notify the complainant and the defendant of the final decision of the CAZA Board of Directors once the appellate decision has been rendered.

Preamble to Code of Professional Ethics
CAZA Member Pledge
Mandatory Standards

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