LES NOUVELLES NORMES RELATIVES A L’INDEPENDANCE DES VERIFICATEURS : L’IMPLANTATION D’UN CADRE CONCEPTUEL FONDE SUR L’AUTOREGLEMENTATION

Abstract

Since the American financial scandals, special attention has been given to the auditor’s role in corporate governance. After auditors were identified as key players in the collapse of several large corporations, proposals to ensure proper supervision of auditors were put forward. In 2003, responding to measures taken in the United States, the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants approved new standards to ensure the independence of auditors. In September 2004, the Québec chartered accountants’code of ethics was amended to incorporate similar standards. The purpose of this article is to examine the context in which the recent modernization of independence standards for auditors has been carried out. This analysis of the Canadian conceptual framework defines its limits and underlines the importance of co-operation between auditors, accounting firms and the accounting profession to implement the new rules and ensure their success.