Goodearl and Aldred versus Hughes aircraft: a whistle-blowing case study

Whistle-blowing is a core topic for any "ethics" or "professionalism" course offered for IS/CS/CE/EE majors. This paper documents a real whistle-blowing case that is ideal for use in teaching. The incident is set in the computing industry, specifically in the supply of micro-electronic chips for use in safety-critical systems. The incident is well documented, with decisions in both a criminal case and a civil case. It touches on all the major issues involved in whistle-blowing.