Obligation-Conflict Resolution
Case 85-3 (1985) · P.E. Requirement for County Surveyor Position
Professional obligations conflict, and the board applies no fixed rule for which one wins.
Each resolution is recorded as three edges:
competesWith (the tension),
prevailsOver (the obligation the board allowed to win in this case), and
defeasibleUnder (the situation under which the yielding obligation gives way).
The same tension is then traced across comparable cases, where its resolution shifts with context.
Hover any obligation or state to see its definition; click to open it in OntServe.
How this case resolved it competition structure in OntServe
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Engineer A Ethics Beyond Legality Duty
prevails over
County Commissioners P.E. Appointment Duty
the two obligations are in tension (competesWith)
the yielding obligation gives way only under (defeasibleUnder):
- Engineer A Discipline Mismatch
Engineer A Qualified Oversight Duty
prevails over
County Commissioners P.E. Appointment Duty
the two obligations are in tension (competesWith)
the yielding obligation gives way only under (defeasibleUnder):
- Engineer A Discipline Mismatch
What the board concluded
- It was unethical for Engineer A to accept the position as county surveyor.
Recorded violations:
Position Acceptance violates Engineer A Qualified Oversight Duty
Position Acceptance violates Engineer A Competence Duty
How comparable cases resolved the same tension
Read at the type level, this resolution is: Legal Obligation yields to Ethical Conduct Obligation. Comparison across cases happens at this level; the duty types recur while each case's obligations instantiate them.
| Case | Prevailing type | Yielding type | Relation to this case |
|---|---|---|---|
|
21-2
Public Health, Safety, and ...
|
Public Safety Obligation | Legal Obligation | The yielding type here also yields there, to a different duty |
|
21-2
Public Health, Safety, and ...
|
Future Conditions Consideration Obligation | Legal Obligation | The yielding type here also yields there, to a different duty |
|
93-8
Use Of Broad Indemnification Clause For...
|
Professional Accountability Obligation | Legal Obligation | The yielding type here also yields there, to a different duty |
No other committed case closely matches this exact pair of obligations yet.