Definition: Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest exists if you have a private interest that could influence, or reasonably be seen to influence, how you perform your public duties.
A conflict can be:
- actual – there is a conflict between your private interests and public duties
- potential – you have a private interest that could foreseeably conflict with your public duties in the future
- perceived – it is reasonable for people to believe that your private interests could influence your public duties, now or in the future.
Conflict of duty
A conflict of duty (sometimes called a conflict of role) is a type of conflict of interest. It is a conflict between your public duties and your duty to another organisation or group.
Definition: Private interests
A private interest can be financial or non-financial. It can be direct or indirect.
Direct – your own interests.
Indirect – the interests of another person or group that you:
- are or were recently closely associated with, or
- have an enduring (ongoing) interest in.