Forensic organizational psychology: shedding light on the positive repercussions of ethical leadership in forensic medicine

Abstract

Ethics is crucial to professional and academic forensic practice. It is not only essential in achieving justice; but it may also be key to the effectiveness, reliability, speed and efficiency of forensic operations. Ethics has received a great deal of attention in the field of forensic psychology and psychiatry. It has also received attention in the clinical and laboratory practice of forensic medicine. This attention has developed in the aftermath of various cases of unethical forensic practice. Various studies have stressed the importance of the formulation of clinical and professional forensic codes of ethics rather than organizational ones. This paper argues that the implementation of ethical leadership in any forensic organization is critical to the effectiveness, reliability, speed and efficiency of forensic operations. The promotion of clinical ethical practices is a function of top-level ethical leadership. Top-level ethical leaders should be acting as role models responsible for the promotion and implementation of ethics across all organizational levels. This paper proposes a new field of concern within forensic psychology, that is concerned with behavioural reshaping of forensic practitioners across all specialties, from an organizational perspective. The sum of all practitioners’ ethical behaviours should trigger to higher reliability, efficiency and effectiveness of forensic operations and processes.