On 27 January 2012, the Disciplinary Board considered allegations of improper conduct against a Graduate member, Mr Benny Sze Lok Chow, Membership Number 65635535, of Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong.
It was alleged that Mr Chow had copied text from articles on the internet and included this in his written assignment for Chartered Professional Review without the permission of the authors and without acknowledgement or reference.
The Disciplinary Board found Mr Chow guilty of Improper Conduct in relation to the allegation against him in that he had breached By-law 35, By-Law 36 and Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
By-law 35 requires all members to order their conduct so as to uphold the dignity, standing and reputation of the Institution.
By-law 36(4) lays down that “improper conduct” shall mean any conduct, other than that laid down in By-law 36(1) – (3), which shall indicate unfitness to be a member or shall otherwise be unbefitting to a member as such.
Under By-law 35, the Council is empowered to make Rules of Conduct to be observed by all members to ensure the fulfilment of the requirements of By-law 35. Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct states: “All members shall discharge their professional duties with integrity”.
Under the powers conferred on it by By-law 40, the Disciplinary Board ordered that Mr Chow should be Suspended from membership of the Institution for four years, and that he should make no application for membership of the Institution in any grade during the period he is Suspended. The Disciplinary Board ordered that the fact and particulars of the Order against him, and the details of the improper conduct of which he had been found guilty, should be posted in the Institution and published.