Purpose
The purpose of this document is to set out the behavioural standards expected of Australian Photographic Judges Association (APJA) members, and the higher standards expected of the Committee Members. Upon joining the APJA members agree to abide by the model rules. This document articulates and promotes the ethical principles that underly the model rules of the APJA.
General
Pursuant to model rules, Division 2 subsection 19, the following behaviour is expected of all members;
- When participating in any photographic pursuit members are expected to obey all relevant legal requirements.
- All members are expected to represent the APJA in a professional manner with fairness and respecting others.
- Honesty and integrity are expected at all times when representing the APJA as well as abide by all ethical constraints.
- In the spirit of “Respect for People”
- Everyone is to be treated with courtesy, respect and sensitivity.
- Bullying, harassment of any kind, discrimination of any kind, including being demeaning and coercive will not be tolerated.
- Value members and their positive contribution.
- Give constructive feedback when asked and where appropriate.
- Do not use any APJA communication channels or social media platforms to express hatred, criticism, abuse or any derogatory comments.
- Adhere to all policies, procedures, regulations and legislative requirements of the APJA.
Committee
In addition to the above requirements all Committee Members are expected to adhere to these additional ethical requirements;
- Discharge the duties of their office with diligence.
- In the spirit of “Respect for People”; in project reviews always indicate that there has been either a failure within training or the project process. It is never appropriate to blame the person.
- Attend all committee meetings or forward their apologies, prior to the meeting, in the event of non‑attendance.
- Strive to find opportunities to improve the processes, functions and operations of the APJA in the spirit of “Continuous Improvement”.
- Pursuant to Part 5, Division 4, subsection 65 of the Model Rules declare any conflicts of interest. These conflicts may arise where a person exploits their position to obtain a personal benefit. These benefits are, but not limited to, money, status, knowledge, relationships, or reputation, which puts into question their actions, judgement and/or decision-making as being unbiased. By definition, a “conflict of interest” occurs if, within a particular decision-making
context, an individual is subject to two coexisting interests that are in direct conflict with each other. - Always act with integrity and ensure that all decisions are made in the best interests of the APJA.
- Ensure that any media release does not push personal views or in any way damage APJA’s reputation.
- Not accept gifts of any kind, except those awarded for judging expertise outside of the committee commitment.
- Not take undue advantage of their position on the Committee in any way to push personal views, criticisms or policy positions.
References
VAPS Code of Ethics, Australian Ethical, The Australian Psychological Society Limited, Investopedia and Wikipedia
