PREAMBLE
The First Congress of the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos (Official
College of Psychologists) held in Madrid in May 1984, gave to the
Governing Committee of the Official College of Psychologists the task of
preparing a Code of Ethics for the Psychology Profession, on the basis of
the preliminary document presented to the Congress by Professor Alfredo
Fierro Bardají.
As a result of this commitment Working meetings for the preparation of
the Code of Ethics for the Psychologist were held in Madrid on January the
16th and 17th,1987. The members of the Organising Committee were Juan
Carlos Camarero Sánchez (President), Alejandro Avila Espada (ViceSecretary
and Technical Secretary), Alfredo Fierro Bardají (member), Adolfo
Hernández Gordillo (member), and Javier Mauleón Alvarez de Linera
(member). Delegates or representatives of the following institutions were
also present: Governing Committee of the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos;
Col.legiu Oficial de Psicblegs de Catalunya; delegations and
sub-delegations of the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos (Western Andalucía,
Eastern Andalucía, Aragón, Balearic Islands, Galicia, Madrid, The North,
Valencia, Tenerife, Extremadura and Murcia); University faculties of
Psychology (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Central de Barcelona, Universidad de
Valencia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad Pontificia de
Salamanca); Sociedad Española de Rorschach y Métodos Proyectivos;
Asociación Española de Neuropsiquiatría; Sociedad Española de Evaluación
Psicológica; Asociación Española de Terapia del Comportamiento; Sociedad
Española de Psicología; Asociación Psicoanalítica de Madrid.
Besides, many distinguished professionals took part. Among them were:
Professor José Luis Pinillos Díaz and the Undersecretary for Justice,
Liborio Hierro Sánchez-Pescador. The meetings discussed numerous
amendments and helped to prepare a new Proposal of the Code of Ethics for
the Psychologist, which was submitted to public consultation during
February 1987. After the consultation period, on March the 13th, 1987, the
Commission -co-ordinated by Professor Alejandro Avila Espada,
vice-president of the Governing Committee of Madrid Delegation- met again.
The remaining members were Adolfo Hernández Gordillo, secretary to the
National Governing Committee and president of the Governing Committee of
the Madrid Delegation; Alfredo Fierro Bardají, member of the National
Governing Committee; Javier Mauleón Alvarez de Linera, the College's legal
advisor; Lluis Maruny i Curtó, representative for the Col.legiu Oficial de
Psicblegs de Catalunya; Antonio Sánchez Barranco, representative of
Western Andalucía Delegation; Miguel Anxo García Alvarez, president of the
Governing Committee for Galicia Delegation and Joan Huerta Pérez,
president of the Governing Committee for Valencia Delegation. They
examined each of the new amendments presented, deciding in each case
whether to include it or not. The final text was presented to the
Governing Committee of the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos for ratification.
In its meeting on May 22, 1987, the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos
Governing Committee ratified the Code of Ethics for the Psychologist, and
began a period of public consultation, study, development and improvement
of the document. At the end of this process the Code was submitted to
referendum in the General Assembly of the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos on
March, 27, 1993.
The Governing Committee wishes to publicly express its recognition of
the meritorious work by Professors Alfredo Fierro Bardají and Alejandro
Avila Espada, in preparing the previous draft and the final documents for
this Code of Ethics for the Psychologist. The Governing Committee of
the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos turned this Code into the Standards of
Professional Conduct for all its members. At present, it has also been
ratified by the following scientific organizations, extending it to their
members: Sociedad Española de Psicología, Sociedad Española de Evaluación
Psicológica, Asociación Española de Terapia del Comportamiento, Asociación
Española de Neuropsiquiatría, Sociedad Española de Rorschach y Métodos
Proyectivos; Sociedad Española para el Desarrollo del Grupo, la
Psicoterapia y el Psicoanálisis.
INTRODUCTION
Article 1 This CODE OF ETHICS for the
Psychology profession is intended to serve as a rule for professional
conduct, for the exercise of Psychology in any of its modalities. The
Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos has assumed it and will judge the
professional practice of its members according to such standards.
Article 2 The Psychologist's work is
governed, above all, by the principles of mutual tolerance and legality
democratically established within the Spanish State.
Article 3 In practising the
profession, Psychologists must take into account the norms, both explicit
and implicit, that govern the social environment in which they act, and
should consider them as elements of the situation, evaluating the
consequences that conformity to or deviation from these rules may have in
their professional activities.
Article 4 Psychologists must reject
any kind of impediment or hindrance to their professional independence and
to the legitimate practice of their profession, within the frame of rights
and duties outlined in this Code.
I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Article 5 The exercise of Psychology
strives towards a human and social goal which can be expressed in terms of
such aims as wellbeing, health, quality of life, full development of
individuals and groups within the distinct scope of individual and social
lives. As the Psychologist is not the only professional who pursues these
humanitarian and social objectives, interdisciplinary collaboration with
other professionals is convenient and in some cases essential, in spite of
each one’s competence and knowledge.
Article 6 The Psychology profession
is governed by principles common to any professional deontology: respect
for the individual, defence of human rights, sense of responsibility,
honesty, sincerity with the client, prudent application of instruments and
techniques, professional competence, firmness in the objective and
scientific basis of their professional activities.
Article 7 Psychologists must not,
either on their own behalf or in collaboration with others, contribute to
any practices that may violate individual liberty or physical or
psychological integrity. Direct participation or cooperation in torture or
maltreatment -apart from being a crime- is the gravest violation of the
Psychologist's professional ethics. They must never participate in any
way, nor as researchers, or advisors, or in concealment, on the practice
of torture, or any other cruel, inhuman and degrading practices, whoever
the victims may be, and regardless of their crimes or the accusations or
suspicions against them, or the information that might be obtainable from
them, nor situations of armed conflict, civil war, revolution, terrorism
or whatever other motivations may be offered as justification for such
practices.
Article 8 Every Psychologist must
inform, at least, to the college bodies, about any violation of human
rights, maltreatment, cruel, inhuman or degrading conditions of
imprisonment of any person and about any such case they may learn of
during the exercise of their profession.
Article 9 Psychologists must respect
the moral and religious beliefs of their clients, not allowing this to be
a hindrance to any questioning that may be necessary in the course of
his/her intervention.
Article 10 In providing their
services, Psychologists must never discriminate their clients on grounds
of birth, age, race, sex, religious beliefs, ideology, nationality, social
class or any other difference.
Article 11 Psychologists must never
-neither for their own benefit or profit nor for third parties ones’- take
advantage of situations of power or superiority over their clients that
may arise from the professional practice.
Article 12 Especially in their
written reports, Psychologists must be extremely cautious, prudent and
critical with respect to ideas which can easily degenerate into derisory
and discriminatory labels, such as normal/abnormal, adapted/maladapted and
intelligent/deficient.
Article 13 Psychologists must never
manipulate procedures in order to get allocated the cases of specific
individuals, nor should they act in a way which ensures an effective
professional monopoly for them in a specific field. Psychologists in state
institutions must not take advantage of their situation to obtain cases
for their private practice.
Article 14 Psychologists must not
allow the use of their names or signatures by persons who may practice
Psychology illegitimately without the necessary qualifications or
preparation. Psychologists should report any cases of encroachment of
which they become aware. Neither must they use their qualifications to
cover for vainglorious or misleading activities.
Article 15 When faced with a conflict
between personal and institutional interests, psychologists must strive to
act with the greatest impartiality. Providing their services in
institutions does not exempt Psychologists from giving consideration,
respect and attention to individuals who may come into conflict with the
institution itself and for whom the psychologist, whenever it is
legitimate, must be their protector before institutional authorities.
II. ON PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER
PROFESSIONALS
Article 16 The professional duties
and rights of the Psychologist are based on the principle of professional
independence and autonomy, regardless of his/her position in the hierarchy
of a specific organisation with respect to other higher-ranking
professionals and authorities.
Article 17 Psychologists'
professional authority is based on their capacity and qualifications for
fulfilment of the tasks being appointed. The psychologist must be
professionally trained and must have specialized knowledge of the
application of the methods, instruments, techniques and procedures used in
their work. The continuous effort to maintain their professional
competence is part of their work. They must recognise both the limits of
their competence and the limitations of their techniques.
Article 18 Without prejudice to the
current diversity of theories, schools and methods, psychologists must not
use neither means nor methods which have not been sufficiently tested,
within the bounds of current scientific knowledge. Clients must be
informed beforehand of any research conducted towards the testing of new
techniques or instruments that have not yet been replicated.
Article 19 The use of any kind o
strictly psychological material, both for assessment and for intervention
or treatment, must be reserved exclusively for psychologists, and they in
turn must refrain from providing it to non-competent persons.
Psychologists must manage psychological documentation, or when
appropriate, guarantee its safekeeping.
Article 20 Whenever psychological
assessment or intervention involves close relationships with other
disciplines or areas of professional competence, psychologists must try to
ensure security of these connections, either themselves or informing and
advising the client about the matter.
Article 21 Psychology must not be
mixed-up, either in practice or in presentation to the public, with other
methods or practices alien to the scientific basis of psychology.
Article 22 Without prejudicing the
scientific criticism deemed necessary, in practising their profession,
psychologists must not discredit colleagues or other professionals working
with the same or different methods, and should speak with respect of
schools and types of intervention that have scientific and professional
credibility.
Article 23 The practice of psychology
is based on the right and obligation of mutual respect among the
psychologist and other professions, especially those whose particular
areas of activity are closest.
III. ON INTERVENTION
Article 24 Psychologists must refuse
to provide their services whenever they are certain that these will be
misused or used against the legitimate interests of individuals, groups,
institutions or communities.
Article 25 On accepting an
intervention on individuals, groups, institutions or communities,
psychologists must provide adequate information about the essential
features of the relationship established, the problems being faced, the
proposed objectives and the method used. In the case of minors or legally
certified disabled persons, the parents or tutors must be informed. In any
case, manipulation of individuals must always be avoided and psychologist
must strive to achieve their development and autonomy.
Article 26 Psychologists must
terminate an intervention and not extend it by concealment or deceit,
either when the proposed objectives are achieved or when, after a
reasonable period of time and with the means and resources available, they
are unable of achieving them. In this case the person, group, institution
or community should be informed which other psychologists or professionals
can get in charge of the intervention.
Article 27 The client's freedom to
stop the intervention and consult another psychologist or professional
must never be restricted for any reason; rather the psychologist must
encourage the client's capacity for taking well-informed decisions. The
psychologist may refuse to treat a patient who is simultaneously receiving
a different type of treatment from another professional.
Article 28 Psychologists must not
take advantage of the situation of power that may arise from their status
to claim special working conditions or payments exceeding those obtainable
in normal circumstances.
Article 29 Similarly, they must not
allow dubious situations in which their roles or functions were misguided
or ambiguous.
Article 30 Psychologists must not
interfere with interventions started by other psychologists.
Article 31 When the psychologist's
services are required to advise on and/or carry out advertising,
marketing, political campaigns and the like, the psychologist should
collaborate in safeguarding the truthfulness of the content and respect
for individuals.
Article 32 Psychologists must take
special care not to create false expectations which they later may be
unable to satisfy professionally.
IV. ON RESEARCH AND TEACHING
Article 33 Every psychologist, in
practicing the profession, must strive to contribute to the progress of
psychological science and profession, researching in their discipline,
abiding by the rules and requirements of scientific work and communicating
their knowledge to students and other professionals according to
scientific custom and/or through teaching.
Article 34 In research, psychologists
must completely reject causing permanent, irreversible or unnecessary harm
to avoid other greater injuries. Participation in any kind of research
must be explicitly authorized by the person or persons on whom it is being
carried out, or by parents or tutor in the case or minors or disabled
people.
Article 35 When psychological
research involves any kind of temporary harm or discomfort, such as
electric shocks or sensory deprivation, researchers must, above all,
ensure that subjects participate in the experimental sessions of their own
true free will, without outside constrictions of any kind, and must not be
accepted without having been precisely informed beforehand about such harm
and obtaining their subsequent consent. Even after having consented
initially, the subject may decide to interrupt his or her participation at
any moment.
Article 36 When research requires the
psychologist to resort to deception or tricks, he or she must ensure that
this will not cause long term harm to any of the subjects and must always
inform them of the nature and experimental need for the deception at the
end of the session or research.
Article 37 Psychological research in
normal situations, whether experimental or observational, must always be
carried out with respect for the dignity of the individuals, their
beliefs, their privacy, their modesty and with special touchfulness in
areas such as sexual behaviour, which most individuals keep private, and
also in situations involving such persons as the old, accident victims,
the ill, and prisoners, who, apart from a certain social powerlessness,
are part of a serious human drama which requires as much respect as
research.
Article 38 Experiments with animals
must also avoid or minimize suffering, harm and discomfort that is not
absolutely necessary and justified by goals of recognised scientific and
human worth. Surgery on animals must be carried out under anaesthetic and
taking the necessary measures to avoid possible complications. In their
practice, personnel directly involved in research with animals must follow
the procedures for housing, experimental handling and elimination of
animals by euthanasia, as stated on the Guide for Ethical Behaviour in the
Care and Use of Animals, published by the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos,
and which conforms to international standards.
V. ON THE GATHERING AND USE OF INFORMATION
Article 39 In exercising their
profession, psychologists must show scrupulous respect for the client's
rights for privacy. The psychologist must only obtain information strictly
necessary for the tasks which have been requested, and always with the
client's authorization.
Article 40 All information gathered
by psychologists in the practice of their profession, whether from the
client's express verbal statements or from psycho-technical data or from
other professional observations, is subject to the duties and rights for
professional secrecy, from which they can only be relieved with the
client's express consent. Psychologists must keep awake to ensure that any
colleagues abide by this professional secret.
Article 41 When the psychological
assessment or intervention is carried out at the request of the subject
from whom information is obtained, this information may only be reported
to third parties with the subject's explicit prior authorization and
within the limits of this authorization.
Article 42 When such assessment or
intervention has been requested by other persons such as judges,
educational professionals, parents, employers or anyone other than the
person to be assessed, the latter or his or her parents or tutors have the
right to be informed about the assessment or intervention and the
addressee of the resulting Psychological Report. The subject of a
Psychological Report has the right to know its content, providing that
this will not pose a grave danger to the subject or the Psychologist, even
when the report has been requested by others.
Article 43 Psychological Reports
prepared at the request of institutions or organisations in general, apart
from the provisions of the preceding article, are subject to the same
general duties and rights for confidentiality defined above. Both the
Psychologist and the instance requesting, are obliged not to divulge the
report outside the strict range for which it was conceived. When
enumerations or lists of assessed individuals, in which the diagnosis and
assessments data must appear, are requested from the Psychologist by other
agencies, for planning purposes, obtaining resources or for any other
ends, these should be made omitting the subject's name and identification
data, whenever those are not strictly necessary.
Article 44 Information acquired for
professional means should never be used for the Psychologist's own or
third parties benefit, nor against the client's own interests.
Article 45 Oral, printed, audiovisual
or any other kind of exhibition of clinical or illustrative cases for
educational, communicative, or scientific publicy purposes, must be done
in such a way that the identification of the person, group or institution
under consideration is impossible. When exhibition by a particular medium
implies the possibility to identify the subject, his/her own explicit and
prior consent will de necessary.
Article 46 Written and electronic
records of psychological data, interviews and test results, if kept for
any length of time, must be saved under the personal responsibility of the
Psychologist, under conditions of security and secrecy ensuring that
strange persons do not have any access to them.
Article 47 The manifest or reserved
presence of third parties, not necessary for the professional activity,
such as students on practice or professionals training, requires the
client's prior consent.
Article 48 Psychological Reports must
be clear, precise, rigorous and intelligible to the addressee. They must
state their range and limitations, the writer's degree of certainty of the
various contents in the report, whether it is current or temporary in
nature, the techniques used in its preparation, and always specifying the
particulars of the professional issuing it.
Article 49 The death of the client,
or disappearance -in the case or public of private institutions- does not
free the Psychologist from the obligations of professional secrecy.
VI. ON ADVERTISING
Article 50 Advertising of
psychologists' services must be discrete, specifying the degree that
qualifies them for professional practice, the fact that they are members
of the Colegio Oficial, and when appropriate, their working field or
techniques they use. Fees must never be stated, nor any type of guarantee
or claims of professional worthiness, competence or success. The
advertiser must always be correctly identified professionally.
Article 51 Besides the criminal
liability it entails, to claim -whether in advertisements, plaques,
calling cards, programmes, or any other means- a qualification one does
not possess, is a grave violation of professional ethics, as does the use
of ambiguous denominations and titles that, without literally being
untruthful, can easily induce to mistakes or confusion and promote public
belief in techniques or procedures of doubtful effectiveness.
Article 52 Psychologists must not
lend their name, prestige or image as psychologists to be used in
advertising for consumer goods and even less so, for any sort of
misleading publicity.
Article 53 As psychologists, however,
they may take part in public advice and information campaigns with
cultural, educational, health, work-related or other aims of acknowledged
social value.
Article 54 Psychologists who use
pseudonyms in their professional activity must declare it to the Colegio
Oficial de Psicólogos for appropriate registration.
VII. ON FEES AND REMUNERATION
Article 55 Psychologists must refrain
from accepting financial retribution that may devalue the profession or be
in unfair competition.
Article 56 Psychologists may however,
exceptionally, provide assessment and intervention services free of charge
to clients who are manifestly in need of these services but unable to pay
for them.
Article 57 In the private practice of
the profession, psychologists should inform the client beforehand about
the fees for their professional services.
Article 58 The Colegio Oficial de
Psicólogos may elaborate guidelines of minimum fees for each professional
service according to the nature, length and other features of each service
within the practice of Psychology.
Article 59 Payments and fees charged
are not subject to the success of the treatment or a particular outcome
due to Psychologist’s action.
Article 60 Psychologists must never
receive any remuneration related to the passing of clients to other
professionals.
VIII. LEGAL GUARANTEES
Article 61 The Deontological
Committee set up by the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos will monitor the
interpretation and application of the present Code. Colegio Oficial de
Psicólogos will distribute the present Code to all professionals and
social institutions. They will also try to ensure that in University
students of Psychology study the principles here stated.
Article 62 Violations of the rules of
the Code of Ethics in the practice of psychology must be reported to the
Ethics Commission. The report must be processed under the principles of
audience, opposition and reservation, concluding with a proposal for
resolution by the Commission. Once the person concerned has been heard,
the Governing Committee will adopt the appropriate resolution, agreeing
whether to dismiss the case or to take the corresponding statutory
disciplinary action.
Article 63 The Colegio Oficial de
Psicólogos guarantees the defence of fellow members who find themselves
attacked or threatened in the exercise of professional actions,
legitimately carried out within the bounds of the rights and duties of the
present Code, particularly those defending professional secrecy and the
dignity and independence of psychologists.
Article 64 Colegio Oficial de
Psicólogos will try that the rules contained in this Code of Ethics -which
represent a formal commitment by the college institutions and the
profession to Spanish society- as far as society itself estimate them as
essential for the practice of a profession of a great human and social
importance, become part of the legal regulations guaranteed by Public
Authority.
Article 65 Should a psychologist find
that adverse or incompatible rules, whether in law or contained in this
Code of Ethics, come into conflict in a specific case, he/she must resolve
it according to his or her conscience, informing to the different parties
involved and the Colege’s Deontological Committee.
APPENDIX
REGULATIONS OF THE NATIONAL ETHICS COMMISSION OF THE COLEGIO OFICIAL
DE PSICOLOGOS
PREAMBLE
The Code of Ethics for the Psychology profession is intended to
serve as a guideline for professional conduct in every way of exercising
Psychology. The profession is governed above all by the democratically
established principles of mutual tolerance and legality. In practising the
profession, Psychologists must take into account the standards, both
explicit and implicit, that govern the social environment in which they
act. Article VIII in the Psychologist's Code of Ethics establishes the
general procedures for complaints and processing of claims, and charges
the Ethics Commission of the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos with the task
of monitoring the interpretation and application of this Code. The
Territorial Delegations of the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos have
progressively constituted, or are in the process of doing so, territorial
deontological commissions whose main purpose is the distribution of and
compliance with the Code in their geographical domains and to process
complaints presented to them by users and college members, taking special
care to promote greater development of conscientiousness and professional
conduct and, where appropriate, to propose resolutions to the respective
Governing Committees. It is now the task of the Colegio Oficial de
Psicólogos to constitute and regulate the activity of the National Ethics
Committee, which has been functioning on an interim basis since November
1991, proclaiming these Regulations which were approved by the National
Governing committee in its meeting on November, the seventh, 1992.
I. PURPOSE OF THE NATIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE
The following are the purposes of the National Ethics Committee
(C.D.E.) of the Colegio Oficial de Psic\logos:
1.1 To monitor the distribution of
and compliance with the Psychologist's Code of Ethics within its range of
competence.
1.2 To promote and coordinate the
activities of the Ethics Commissions of the Territorial Delegations.
1.3 To assume the powers of the
Territorial Ethics Commissions in the following cases: · When these
have not been constituted. · When the Territorial Ethics Commission
decides it is not competent and withdraws in favour of the National Ethics
Commission. · When requested by the National Governing
Committee.
1.4 To establish relationships with
the Ethics Commissions of other professional colleges, associations,
institutions and other bodies, both Spanish and international.
1.5 To Process and propose
Resolutions in response to the Ethics proceedings presented to it by the
Delegations or proposed by the National Governing Committee.
1.6 To acknowledge ethical claims in
which there are c competence onflicts among two or more Delegations.
II. COMPOSITION, DURATION AND REELECTION OF THE NATIONAL ETHICS
COMMISSION
2.1 The National Ethics Committee
will be composed -as ex-officio members- by the Presidents of the
deontological commissions from the Territorial Delegations of the Colegio
Oficial de Psicólogos -or by other concerted college organizations- and in
their absence, in the interim, by Ethics Matters Coordinators, designated
by the respective Governing Committees. Also, a member of the National
Governing Committee of the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos shall be a member
of the National Ethics Committee, who has the right to speak but with no
vote, to act as a link.
2.2 The National Ethics Committee
shall have a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Vice-Secretary who
shall be elected with votes from ex-officio members of the Commission in
the first ordinary session of the Commission which shall be held after
approval of these Regulations. These posts shall be for a period of four
years. If an elected member leaves the Commission, he or she shall
continue in the post until a new election is held in the next ordinary
session of the Commission. Reelection shall only be for one further
four-year period.
2.3 The working sessions shall be
called and headed by the President. The Secretary shall prepare the
minutes of the meetings and process the cases under consideration, as well
as keep custody of the documents. The Vice-President and Vice-Secretary
shall stand for the President and Secretary respectively in their absence
or illness and shall accept the tasks delegated to them. Decisions shall
be taken in the sessions by simple majority election and individual votes
shall be allowed. Delegation of votes shall not be allowed. The Legal
Advisor to the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos shall be present during the
discussions and shall act as consultant with the right to speak, but may
not vote.
2.4 The National Ethics Committee
shall meet at least twice a year and at the request of, at least, one
third of its members.
2.5 The President, Vice-President,
Secretary and Vice-Secretary, assisted by the Legal Advisor, shall
constitute the Permanent Commission.
III. PROCEDURES FOR THE PROCESSING OF CLAIMS
3.1 Complaints or claims shall be initially submitted in written
letter inside a sealed envelope to the President of the National Ethics
Committee.
3.2 When the National Ethics
Committee acts in response to the Ethics Commission of a Territorial
Delegation which has processed it initially, it must supply all
documentation, and any information on the matter available, to the
Secretary of the National Ethics Committee, by confidential means.
3.3 Complaints or claims presented
anonymously shall not be accepted.
3.4 Confidentiality concerning the
procedure followed and the parties involved is guaranteed within legally
established limits and according to the nature of the resolutions adopted.
3.5 After a prior report by the
Secretary and the Legal Advisor, the Permanent Commission of the National
Ethics Committee may decide: a) To accept considering the claim. b)
Not to accept considering the claim.
3.6 Once the claim is accepted, it
will decide whether to proceed with it by common or urgent procedure.
3.7 Under the urgent procedure, the
complaint or claim shall be examined by an Instructor, who shall be a
member of the National Ethics Committee nominated for such a purpose, and
shall fail it together with the Permanent Commission within a period of
not more than two months, and shall prepare the corresponding written
report.
3.8 Under the common procedure, the
Instructor nominated shall listen to all the parties involved, in the
presence of the appropriate consultants as the National Ethics Committee
considers.
3.9 Under the common procedure, a
decision shall be given in not more than eight months.
3.10 The Instructor shall present
written reports both on the procedure and on the contributions by the
consultants, and these will be examined by the National Ethics Committee
or its Permanent Commission, which shall adopt the corresponding proposal.
3.11 The National Ethics Committee
shall present its proposal to the National Governing Committee, who shall
adopt the appropriate resolution and notify to the parties involved.
3.12 All the documentation and
evidence relating ethical cases shall be saved in a file with sufficient
guarantees during five years, and it shall be destroyed after the date.
This action must be arranged by the Secretary.
3.13 To facilitate research work on
ethics and psychology, the Secretary shall prepare summaries on each of
the cases processed for scientific and professional use, taking adequate
precautions to ensure privacy and confidentiality, for use in casuistry.
These summaries shall be saved in a file by the documentation service of
the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos so that they may be consulted by college
members.
IV. FINAL PROVISIONS
4.1 All doubts arising in the
interpretation of the above rules shall be resolved by the decision of the
National Ethics Committee.
4.2 Ex-officio members of the
National Ethics Committee may not be members of the Governing Committees
or Governors of the Colegio Oficial de
Psicólogos. |