Navigating the Code of Ethics

This course provides verifiable ethics related CPD and can be used to meet the CA ANZ requirement for a minimum of 6 ethics CPD hours per triennium.

Ethics is defined as a system of moral principles by which human actions and proposals may be judged good or bad, or right or wrong. The effects of your ethical decisions can be significant, not only for the stakeholders involved but for yourself.  

Some understand ethics to include personal characteristics, such as trust, integrity and honesty. Others emphasise consequences; that is, considering the impact of decisions on stakeholders or acting with ‘social responsibility'. For others, ‘doing the right thing’ means you adhere to key principles, such as treating others in the same way that you would want them to treat you. 

While it may be tempting to dismiss ethics as merely a matter of opinion – particularly when ethical norms differ between (and even within) countries – many people and professional bodies believe there are universal standards of ethical conduct. 

This course focuses on the key ethical pronouncement provided specifically for the global accounting profession: the IESBA Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (the Code) issued by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).  

Successfully completing this course will equip you with knowledge of the Code, and how to use it to confidently resolve ethically challenging situations. 

Learning outcomes:

On completing this course, you will be able to: 

• recognise how the International Code of Ethics for Accountants (the Code) applies to you and your role  
• navigate and interpret the International Code of Ethics for Accountants (the Code) including sections and guidance specific to your role  
• identify the fundamental principles of the International Code of Ethics for Accountants (the Code)  
• understand how the conceptual framework of the International Code of Ethics for Accountants (the Code) is applied to identify, evaluate and address threats to the fundamental principles. 

Key benefits:

• Brush up on your obligations to act ethically as a professional accountant by revisiting the International Code of Ethics for Accountants (the Code)
• Ensure you maintain compliance with the code by navigating and interpreting it's sections and guidance and how it applies to you and your role.
• Re-affirm the foundations of your ethical conduct and how to maintain trust in the accounting profession by exploring the fundamental principles of the Code. 
• Be prepared to respond to ethical dilemmas by refreshing your understanding of the Code's conceptual framework and how it is used to identify, evaluate and address threats to the fundamental principles of the Code.