Couples In Action...

Fortunately, I'm not big on kicking people when they're down -- and sometimes out. So instead of joining the choir, my approach to recent developments is to blog on the difficulties inherent with power couples.

It isn't an easy mix: most couples love each other and only want the best for their spouse. They know the black and white parameters but love being what it is, the elastic band can tend to stretch more than it should -- and said couples can find themselves in the sometimes notorious grey zone.

That tends to spell trouble with a capital "T". In some cases, that can lead to resignation, in others disgrace. Investigations are undertaken and charges can accompany inquiries.

Whether in the private sector or government, you can't take your eyes off the ball. You have to cut quickly to contain the damage. As stated before, perception is truly nine-tenths of the law. The next enemy is I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N which often leads to incredibly damaging speculation, sometimes eventually proven to be accurate but more often than not, which reveals itself to be groundless.

That's why accountability, accuracy and transparency are so essential in these matters. You have to get it all out there -- the good, bad and yes, the ugly as quickly as possible. But then comes the truly delicate part: carefully choosing the appropriate messenger -- in the interest of not compromising investigations or jeopardizing possible fair trials, it's not just anyone who can speak publicly on these subjects.

That's why our system allows for full disclosure (within reasonable limits) in the interest of justice by police and prosecutors. But remember, that disclosure has to be both as complete and as timely as possible.

Otherwise, no amount of damage control can be effective as matters such as these potentially turn into nothing more than a three-ring circus...