Abstract
In this paper, I examine the current rules of the Code of Professional Ethics of the Hungarian Government Officials’ Corps., especially its procedural rules. The first part of the Code sets out ethical principles in the form of mandatory rules of conduct for Hungarian government officials. From a different approach, with some simplification, it can be stated that the intentional or negligent violation of the established principles of professional ethics gives rise to an ethical offense. In view of the mandatory nature of the substantive rules of public service ethics and the absence of a grey zone, the ethical procedure may be regarded as an irregularity procedure, the purpose of which is to reach a final decision on the question whether the person subject to the proceedings or a third person has committed an ethical offense and, if so, a warning or a reprimand can be the sanction imposed by the Ethical Council in relation to the Code during a procedure conducted with the exclusion of the public. My aim is not to examine whether it is appropriate for the Code to include both substantive and procedural rules, because such a uniform structure was an accepted codification solution in the case of codes of ethics for other professions, and I do not undertake to compare the Code with the codes of ethics of other professions, just as I do not mention law historical issues related to my topic.