A growing concern

Abstract

There has been tremendous growth internationally as well as in South Africa in the demand for forensic accounting services. Indications are that 80% of the income of the forensic practices in the major accounting firms is derived from litigation support in civil dispute issues. The services provided by forensic accountants are not new to accountants. What is new is that it has become an area of specialization. It is now a multi-disciplinary profession consisting of mainly accountants, lawyers and individuals previously employed by the investigative agencies. One of the issues being debated is the ethics of forensic accountants acting for known or suspected criminals or organized crime syndicates. One view is that it should not be a problem because every person is entitled to a fair trial and it is not the forensic accountant's role to be judgmental, but just to obtain the facts. With the further globalization of organizations and cooperation of governments internationally, the demand for forensic accounting services should continue to grow.