I couldn't think of a better model for the ethical code of a design critic than the Canons of Ethics proposed for judges by the American Bar Association. I present them here in their original form and as I have modified them to suit the needs of design critics and their audience.
ORIGINAL FOR JUDGES
ORIGINAL FOR JUDGES
CANON 1
A judge shall uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
CANON 2
A judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all of the judge’s activities.
CANON 3
A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially and diligently.
CANON 4
A judge shall so conduct the judge’s extra-judicial activities as to minimize the risk of conflict with judicial obligations.
CANON 5
A judge or judicial candidate shall refrain from inappropriate political activity.
Except for Canon 5, all of these can be adapted to the conduct of a design critic. As modified below, I hereby adopt them for my conduct in this blog. I add a new Canon 5 which I think is relevant in criticism but not in judicial conduct. This also interacts with Canon 3. Unlike a judge, I think a design critic can "rule" on a subject with which he or she has a personal connection and may have some partiality so long as the nature of that connection is disclosed. A judge, on the other hand, in deciding between adversarial parties cannot have the same leeway.
MY CODE OF CRITICAL CONDUCT
CANON 1
A design critic shall uphold the integrity and independence of the critical profession.
CANON 2
A design critic shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all of the design critic’s activities.
CANON 3
A design critic shall perform the duties of design criticism impartially and diligently.
CANON 4
A design critic shall so conduct the design critic’s extra-critical activities as to minimize the risk of conflict with professional obligations.
CANON 5
A design critic shall disclose all connections the critic has to the subject under consideration.
Sworn to this 27th day of April, 2011.
Daniel Young
A judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all of the judge’s activities.
CANON 3
A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially and diligently.
CANON 4
A judge shall so conduct the judge’s extra-judicial activities as to minimize the risk of conflict with judicial obligations.
CANON 5
A judge or judicial candidate shall refrain from inappropriate political activity.
Except for Canon 5, all of these can be adapted to the conduct of a design critic. As modified below, I hereby adopt them for my conduct in this blog. I add a new Canon 5 which I think is relevant in criticism but not in judicial conduct. This also interacts with Canon 3. Unlike a judge, I think a design critic can "rule" on a subject with which he or she has a personal connection and may have some partiality so long as the nature of that connection is disclosed. A judge, on the other hand, in deciding between adversarial parties cannot have the same leeway.
MY CODE OF CRITICAL CONDUCT
CANON 1
A design critic shall uphold the integrity and independence of the critical profession.
CANON 2
A design critic shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all of the design critic’s activities.
CANON 3
A design critic shall perform the duties of design criticism impartially and diligently.
CANON 4
A design critic shall so conduct the design critic’s extra-critical activities as to minimize the risk of conflict with professional obligations.
CANON 5
A design critic shall disclose all connections the critic has to the subject under consideration.
Sworn to this 27th day of April, 2011.
Daniel Young
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