Walking the Line - but whose line is it?

In public governance is the consequence of declaring a conflict of interest always in the best interests of society?  Conflicts of interest are a topical subject of significant concern for all those involved.  The public, usually through media attention, tends to assume an ethical guardianship role and this is nowhere more so than with public boards.  Appointed or elected directors have very high expectations of fair dealing, good faith and impartiality placed on them by the public and those representing the public like Ministerial or government department agents.

The general consensus on governance regarding conflicts of interest is that directors should be acting for the good of the organisation they are representing and not in their own self-interest.

Read Fiona Gilkison’s article entitled Walking the Line - but whose line is it? to find out where the line is, whose line is it and how directors can ensure that they are working in the best interests of the people they represent.

Walking the Line – but whose line is it? by Fiona Gilkison, DM, ACIS, Chartered Secretaries New Zealand Inc was first published in NZLawyer in July 2011.