ABSTRACT
There is no specific ethics and law section in most curricula for psychiatric trainees. However, if the curriculum and the clinical competencies for psychiatric practice are read carefully, then it will be clear that ethical awareness and the capacity to reason thoughtfully about ethical dilemmas are essential requirements of good psychiatric practice. Arguably, ethical theory and reasoning are central to all aspects of the psychiatric curriculum, because good psychiatric practice is about relationships and ethical theory deals with how we should act towards others. All psychiatrists need ethical competence if they are to be competent in their clinical care of patients, their work with colleagues and their own personal probity.
