Professional secrecy

Professional secretism

Incidence

Professional secrecy poses significant challenges across sectors such as healthcare, law, finance, and government, where the withholding of critical information can impede justice, public safety, and transparency. Globally, cases have emerged where excessive confidentiality has shielded malpractice, corruption, or abuse, affecting millions and undermining public trust in institutions. The tension between privacy obligations and the public’s right to know remains a persistent issue in both developed and developing countries.
In 2022, the “cum-ex” tax fraud scandal in Germany highlighted the problem when legal and financial professionals invoked professional secrecy to withhold evidence, complicating investigations into one of Europe’s largest tax evasion cases.

Claim

Professional secrecy is a deeply troubling issue that undermines transparency, accountability, and justice. When professionals hide behind confidentiality, it can enable corruption, protect unethical behavior, and prevent the exposure of wrongdoing. This secrecy often puts the interests of a few above the well-being of society, eroding public trust. We must urgently address and reform professional secrecy to ensure that it does not become a shield for misconduct or a barrier to truth.