Nowhere in public law is the idea of personal loyalty to superiors mentione
d, yet criminal justice practitioners suffer from a "personal loyalty syndr
ome." This syndrome holds them responsible to an altogether different set o
f loyalty expectations. They are often compelled to offer personal loyalty
to unworthy superiors and, as a result, violate constitutional provisions,
legal requirements, or the public good. While no organizational rules requi
re any such loyalty, criminal justice practitioners are invariably taught t
hat issues of loyalty at the workplace are so important that one cannot sur
vive without personal loyalty to superiors. They are also reminded that vio
lating such a "commandment" is a cardinal sin that can destroy one's career
. This article discusses the arguments for and against personal loyalty to
superiors and the dangers inherent in such relationships. It explains the g
rammar of loyalty at the workplace, explores the paradoxes of personal loya
lty to superiors, and suggests a duty-based model as an alternative to the
current model. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.