Hello and thank-you for your question.
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" is the phrase you want.
It is variously translated as "Who shall watch over the guardians",
"Who is watching the watchmen?", "Who is guarding the guards?" etc.
Sometimes it is prefixed by the word "sed", meaning 'but'.
It comes from the "Satires" of the Roman writer Juvenal. Here's one
explanation:
"Who Watches the Watchers?
Historians debate the true meaning of Juvenal’s maxim, “Sed quis
custodiet ipsos custodes?” The Roman satirist often poked fun at the
ruling elite. According to one commentator, Juvenal’s guardians were
the eunuchs left with the women of Rome while the men traveled beyond
the city. Perhaps there is no need to guard such guardians.
But in the modern era, the words are a call for greater transparency
and greater accountability of those in power. Leading economists ask
who will watch the regulators of financial markets. Human rights
groups ask who will police the police. Commentators on technology ask
who will observe those who have the means to observe others."
Observing Surveillance Project
http://www.observingsurveillance.org/introduction.html
Certainly it is appropriate to use the phrase in the context of
corruption, or devising systems to prevent corruption. Juvenal
"constantly compares the corruption of his own generation with its
stern upright forebears," according to the back cover of Peter Green's
translation of Juvenal's work. (see Amazon.com.)
The Sixteen Satires, by Juvenal. Penguin (1999)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0140447040/104-4503498-9755908?vi=glance
I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to 'request clarification' if
I can assist further with this.
Regards - Leli
search used (I already knew the phrase):
://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Quis+custodiet+ipsos+custodes%3F&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta= |
