Seven Principles of Public Life: time to rethink

Abstract

The Seven Principles of Public Life, developed by the Nolan Committee, claim to be concerned with the development of an ethical culture, but they have been imposed by central authority. The principles are muddled and unclear, but beyond that they have signally failed to relate to many of the key ethical issues which have arisen in public services in the intervening period. This paper reviews both some of the alternative principles that might be considered, and the possibility of a different approach based on virtue ethics.

Keywords:

• Ethics
• Nolan
• principles
• public office
• standards of public life