The concept of the public trust relates back to the origins of democratic government and its seminal idea that within the public lies the true power and future of a society; therefore, whatever trust the public places in its officials must be respected.

One of the reasons that bribery is regarded as a notorious evil is that it contributes to a culture of corruption in which the public trust is eroded.

A famous example of the betrayal of public trust is in the story of Julius Caesar, who was killed by Roman senators who believed they had to act drastically to preserve the republic against his alleged monarchical ambitions. It is an interesting concept, nevertheless.

Public Trust is also the name of a public trustee in New Zealand, where a crown entity of that name has taken over the traditional corporation sole in providing government supervised trust services.

See also

• Public trust doctrine

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