Name: Phan Hoang Minh

ID: 94011901748
Course: Business Ethics
Lecturer: Brian O’Reilly

The Report of Case Study Caesar Corriea

Abstract

In this study, a person has been convicted of a crime and returns to normal life and work. But
things don't stop there, around him there are many things that are considered unfair and
pressurize others to the end. We will briefly talk about his past crimes and the reasons why this
incident led to them. And after being released from prison, what did he do to suffer such injustice
and oppression. We will analyze two different directions and come up with the best possible
solution, this is a special case and we can learn from it. The questions will be answered clearly in
the direction of personal analysis.

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Table of Contents

Introduction 3
Summarize case study 3
Questions 4
References 5

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Introduction

This is a true story of a young man who committed a crime, went to jail, served his time, began a
career in computers, and started a business with a colleague. He is now being penalized a second
time. Is that fair? This case lends itself easily to analyses based on the theory of rights, justice as
fairness, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics.

Summarize case study: Cesar Correia.

The two main issues of the Cesar Correia case include:

 To further explain, Correia and the rest of his family endured physical abuse for a number
of years from his father Joachim. However, this abuse ended one day when during a car
repair Correia and his father got into an argument that resulted in Correia beating his
father to death with two different baseball bats. To cover up the crime, Correia wrapped
his father’s body in a blanket and placed it in the car along with a bicycle, and then drove
to the “Assiniboine River” to dump off the body, abandon the car, and return back home
using the bike.
 A few weeks later, the body was found by some children, and Cesar quickly confessed to
the police when questioned by them. He was initially charged with murder but later
pleaded guilty to manslaughter. While at the prison, he completed his university
education, graduating from the University of Manitoba in 1989 with a bachelor of science
degree in computer sciences and statistics.
 Cesar Correia formed an information dissemination company, known as Infolink
technologies Ltd. With George Theodore as his partner. Cesar Corrie as president of the
company traded on the Toronto stock exchange up until 2007 when the company became
private. The Ontario securities commission requires all directors and officers of public
companies to disclose any criminal convictions and “any other penalties or sanctions
imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered an important detail
to an investor making reasonable investments.

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  In 2003, George resigned from the company and then sued Cesar for lost profits on two
transactions. George contended that two customers backed out of deals when they found
out about Cesar’s conviction.
Questions

1. Ignoring any legal issues, was Cesar ethically obligated to inform his partner, George,
of his criminal past?

  The theory of rights contends that individuals have certain entitlements, regardless of their
economic condition, gender, age, and geography.  Included among these rights is the right to
privacy and the right to information.  The right to privacy means that personal information need
not be disclosed if the withholding of that information would not harm either the individual or
anyone else.  Examples include not disclosing information about one’s religion, sexual
orientation, or political affiliations.  A right to information means that an individual must be
given all the relevant facts and information, including probable implications so that they can
make an informed decision.  Examples include product warning labels, the risks associated with
various investments, and hazardous work conditions.
Students can make arguments both for and against disclosure using these two theories.  This is an
opportunity to illustrate that reasonable people can come to different ethical conclusions while
using the same general philosophical theory.

Do Not Disclose
Cesar has a right to privacy.  He was pardoned.  Therefore, for all intents and purposes, the
crime never occurred.  So, there is nothing to confess or disclose.
The crime, fratricide, has nothing to do with providing information services.  So, because there
is no link between the two, there is no need to make the disclosure.

Make the Disclosure

2. Did George have a right to know about Cesar’s criminal past?

Rawls argues that each person has a right to liberty that is commensurate with the liberty of
everyone else. Also, inequalities should be to everyone’s advantage. In this case, under the
double-jeopardy rule, a person should not be convicted of the same crime twice. If Cesar
discloses and he suffers as a result, then he is being punished for the same crime twice. This

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would not be fair. On the other hand, if George is not informed then he is not on an equal plane
with Cesar. Cesar knows something that may be potentially harmful to the business; that they
may lose clients because of Cesar’s conviction. This inequality in information is not to
everyone’s advantage. So Cesar should make the disclosure. George may nevertheless accept
Cesar as a legitimate business partner. He may view the crime as being justified, with a debt that
has been repaid to society, and a crime that is not relevant to their business venture.
Utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of actions. If you murder your father, these are some
of the consequences: imprisonment, being shunned by many segments of society, carrying the
stigma of being an ex-convict, and having business colleagues view you in a jaundice manner.
Cesar may very well lose George as a potential business partner if he makes the disclosure, but
that is one of the consequences of his crime. The ethical action is for Cesar to make the
disclosure and live with the consequences. Virtue ethics takes a more holistic approach, looking
at all the characteristics and traits of the individual. The murder of his father was a horrendous
crime, and his reticence about disclosing this to his partner demonstrates a lack of candor and
respect for George.

On the positive side, however, he argued that the murder was based on compassion for his
mother and brother. He demonstrated determination by completing his university while in prison.
He was succeeding as a businessman, running a publicly-traded company. His behavior was
good enough to earn a pardon. So, like everyone else, Cesar has both good and bad aspects to his
character.

Conclusion

To conclude, Caesar has the right to freedom and equality with everyone, a crime in the past that
will affect the future if he reveals it. Cesar may very well lose George as a potential business
partner if he makes the disclosure, but there is only one option for him. He may have been
stigmatized by society and his partners for his crimes, but on the positive side, he has helped his
mother and brother to escape being beaten and abused for a long time. Caesar worked hard to
study and was determined to complete his university program in prison with the hope of being
pardoned, and when he was released from prison, he became an entrepreneur running a
company. In everyone's heart, there is a bad side and a good side in personality, Caesar is not an
exception.

References
Discussion of Ethical Issues ( Caesar Correia )

https://www.studocu.com/en-au/document/royal-melbourne-institute-of-technology/professional-
values-ethics-attitudes/3-chapter-3-homework-guideline-help-you-to-do-the-case-study/
6068467?fbclid=IwAR1rVHuWmIpHufviCrONwEtKS3HawvHiwdfF3TFuP8f-
YjiFQqRnTXp2fiY

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The Case of Cesar Correia (Albert Tapia), Dr. Robert ,Vega Buad, 5304 Ethics – (June 14th
2015)

https://www.studymode.com/essays/Case-Study-3-Cesar-Corriea-76551910.html

https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Cesar-Correia-FJBJ2TBXHNT

Solution for Business and Professional Ethics 7th Edition Chapter 3, Problem 25 by Leonard J.
Brooks, Paul Dunn

https://scholaron.com/textbook-solutions/solutions-for-business-and-professional-ethics-7th-
edition-chapter-3-25-295225-9781285182223