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Slovenia Police
Code of Police Ethics
The Code of Police Ethics contains general basis principles, regulates the interactive relationship between the authorised personnel of the internal affairs bodies in the Republic of Slovenia (police men and women, hereinafter officers or police) and their relations towards citizens, institutions and agencies and defines responsibility for any breaches of the code.
The Code of Police Ethics represents the superstructure of the moral and ethical standards of the police and takes account of the rules included in the general Declaration of the United Nations on Human Rights, the International Treaty on Civil and Political Rights, the Declaration on Protection of All People from Torture and Other Forms of Cruel,
Inhuman or Humiliating Treating or Punishment, the Declaration on Police or Other International Documents, and the Constitution, laws and other regulations of the Republic of Slovenia.
The main laws regulating the Slovenian police service’s work are:
Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia;
- Law on Police;
- Law on Penal Proceedings;
- Penal Code;
- Law on Road Safety;
- Law on Minor Offences;
- Law on Minor Offences against Public Order;
- Law on Control of the State Border;
- Law on Foreigners; and
- Law on Personal Data Protection.
The principles of the Code of Police Ethics form part of the education at police schools. A new
police recruit signs a statement that he or she accepts the contents of the Code upon joining the force.
General Provisions
The Code of Police Ethics is based on the following general provisions:
The Code of Police Ethics is the expression of the will and awareness of all officers of the necessity for lawful, just, humane, and considerate behaviour when performing their duties. It binds all officers of the force in the Republic of Slovenia.
The police force is a public service at the disposal all citizens and institutions within the scope of its competence.
Officers ensure the protection and respect of human rights and basic liberties; when lawfully intervening in them they must respect the human personality and its dignity.
The human personality and its dignity must be protected through the prevention of any kind of violence, inhuman treatment or other actions humiliating to people.
An officer is morally responsible if his actions are in conflict with the Code. When an officer’s actions are in accordance with the Code in job regulations, he enjoys the appropriate protection of the superior officer from any attempts to undermine the value of his work and personality.
In this case, he has the right to moral and other support of the community in which he performs his duties.
Basic Principles
The basic principles on which the work of the Slovenian police is based are constitutionality, legality, responsibility, humanity, protecting reputation, professionalism, independence, protection of professional secrets and mutual assistance and solidarity in their internal relations.
Constitutionality, Legality and Responsibility:
An officer is aware that his activity is not only a formality obliged by the Constitution, laws and other regulations and that his responsibility not only includes a narrow understanding of rights and duties for implementing powers but that it also means his own sense of value towards moral, ethical, and other values and principles which define the police’s role in society.
When an officer is required to perform a task which is against the regulations and his authorisation, he must refuse the task and act within the regulation governing this field. It is not possible to pronounce an imposition, disciplinary act or any other sanction on the officer who has declined to perform an unlawful act.
When implementing police procedures an officer undertakes to ensure that the same human rights and basic liberties are assured to each individual irrespective of nationality, race, sex, language, religion, political or other belief, financial status, birth, education, social position or any other personal circumstance.
Humanity:
When implementing his authority and official duties in procedures with members of the public, an officer should act resolutely but tactfully and, at the same time, be careful not to damage their honour and good name and not to disturb them unnecessarily or impose unnecessary obligations on them. His special concern goes to those persons who need additional attention, help and care.
Protecting Reputation:
Officers protect and consolidate the reputation of the police force when performing official duties as well as in their personal lives. When performing official duties, their personal presentation is exemplary as required by the regulations, they are impartial, polite, professional, consistent, and immune to any form of bribe. Officers have no privileges nor do they require them for themselves or anybody else, and have no other advantages over other citizens.
Through public, lawful, honest, polite, and professional work an officer gains the goodwill of the public and acknowledges the public as a form of control over his work.
Professionalism and Independence:
An officer is appropriately educated for the professional fulfilment of duties and he also undergoes professional training. He is well versed in general knowledge and develops those skills which are necessary for performing official duties.
An officer must not be a member of a political party; his professional performance cannot depend on his political views and world outlook. The changing of political parties in power must not influence the professionalism of the police.
An officer may join a trade, professional or other union in his own country and in the international sphere.
Protection of Professional Secrets:
It is the officer’s right and duty to protect professional secrets. An officer does not use and divulge any information he has obtained while performing official duties. He does not publicly reveal the names of those involved in cases still being investigated. He is appropriately discreet.
The duty of protecting professional secrets does not expire with the termination of police service.
Internal Relations:
The relations between officers are based on a definite hierarchical order and mutual respect, mutual assistance and solidarity, friendship, tolerance, sincerity, mutual trust, and dignity. All this encourages professionalism, innovation, mutual dialogue and high professionalism of the police profession. Such relations cannot accommodate the phenomena as humiliation, underestimation, and disdain.
An officer may perform independent scientific and pedagogical work, public work in the publishing field and also in cultural, artistic, sports, humanitarian, and other similar organisations. On the basis of a permit written by his supervisor, he may also perform other kinds of work outside the police service if such work is not indirectly connected with his work within the police service. In doing so, he must not use information protected as an official secret and must not take advantage of his influence as a police officer.
Honorary Tribunal
The Honorary Tribunal, founded at the level of the Republic, establishes moral responsibility for any breaches of the Code. Proceedings in the Honorary Tribunal are started on the initiative of a citizen, a superior of a police unit, police trade union, an affected officer or the Honorary Tribunal itself.
The Honorary Tribunal consists of seven members of high repute within both the police force and publicly. Three members are not from the police. The Honorary Tribunal adopts points of order governing its work.
The Honorary Tribunal takes decisions at public meetings. It adopts moral standards which are published in the police gazette and, when necessary, also in other public organs.
This code is used by:
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