The moral obligations arising from the core ethical value of fairness is almost always associated with the exercise of power to render judgments that bestow benefits or impose burdens. In essence, the virtue of fairness establishes moral standards for decisions that affect others.  Fair decisions are made in an appropriate manner based on appropriate criteria.

Principles of Fairness:

•  Treat all people equitably based on their merits and abilities and handle all essentially
   similar situations consistently.

•  Make all decisions on appropriate criteria, without undue favoritism or improper prejudice.

•  Never blame or punish people for what they did not do, and appropriately sanction those
   who violate moral obligations or laws.

•  Promptly and voluntarily correct personal and institutional mistakes and improprieties.

•  Do not take unfair advantage of people’s mistakes or ignorance.

•  Fully consider the rights, interests, and perspectives of all stakeholders,  approach judgments with open-minded impartiality, gather and verify facts, provide stakeholders  with the opportunity to explain or clarify and carefully evaluate the information.