ETHICAL STATEMENTS AS SMOKESCREENS FOR SECTIONAL INTERESTS - THE CASEOF THE UK ACCOUNTANCY PROFESSION

The UK accountancy industry has traded upon its professional status as a means of expanding and legitimating its activities. Extensive appea ls are made to ethical codes and disciplinary arrangements as part of its claim to professional status. This study examines some recent even ts relating to audit failures and alleged unprofessional conduct by ac countancy firms and their partners in the UK with a view to assessing the validity of the claims to professional status. it concludes that t he rhetoric of the claims is belied by the failure/inability of the pr ofessional accountancy bodies to take effective action against the off ending firms or their partners.