CIRI's Code of Ethics & Practice Guidelines

CIRI’s Code of Ethics and Practice Guidelines are essential to achieving its mission to contribute to the transparency and integrity of the Canadian capital market by advancing the practice of investor relations, the professional competency of its members and the stature of the profession.

CIRI members must comply with the Code of Ethics and Practice Guidelines. CIRI members who are sanctioned by regulatory or judicial bodies for violating laws or regulations in conjunction with their IR responsibilities may, upon recommendation of the CIRI Membership Committee, have their memberships terminated and/or the CPIR designation revoked by the CIRI Board of Directors, in keeping with the provisions of CIRI's Bylaws.

CIRI's Code of Ethics

Members of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute, including CPIRs, and candidates for the CPIR designation must:

  1. Maintain integrity and credibility by practicing investor relations within the highest legal, regulatory and ethical standards.
  2. Exercise independent professional judgment in the conduct of duties and responsibilities.
  3. Avoid even the appearance of professional impropriety in the conduct of investor relations responsibilities.
  4. Keep up to date regarding the affairs of the company or clients, as well as the laws, regulations and principles affecting the practice of investor relations.
  5. Maintain the confidentiality of information acquired in the normal course of business.
  6. Not use confidential information acquired in the normal course of business for personal advantage, nor for the advantage of others, except in the legitimate performance of duties on behalf of the company or clients.
  7. Report to company authorities, the Board of Directors, or appropriate securities regulators, if fraudulent or illegal acts are suspected or recognized.
  8. Recognize that the integrity and credibility of the capital markets is based on complete, timely and non-selective disclosure of financial and non-financial corporate information and work to ensure that the company or client communicate such information on a timely basis.
  9. Provide analysts, institutional and individual investors and the media fair and equal access to publicly disclosed corporate information.
  10. Serve the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders.

Approved by CIRI Board of Directors - July 2003
Revised by CIRI Board of Directors - April 2013