You approve, You responsible if the approved product is deficient.
A later "audit" after-the-event, only proves your deficiency.
Up-into-the-air, unfortunately this is where bureaucracy, spin, pony pooh, voodoo lawyers and twisting the words come into play. CASA no longer
approve an Operators manuals, systems, S.O.P's, structure etc, they
accept. There is a huge difference in the legal meaning of
approve and
accept, just ask Flyingfiend.
Look at some of the Government responses, in fact most of them, to the senate inquiry. The Government pretty much
accepts the majority of recomendations. To
accept does not mean you will adopt a recomendation, change anything or give approval for something. It means you merely accept what has been said. To use an analogy, "I accept the Carbon Queen as being our Prime Minister (large hurl)" Does that make me accountable for anything, or indicate that I vote for her or will shoulder any blame for her antics, actions or grotesqueness? Nope. I just accept the fact.
(Jeez, all those years of being pineappled have turned me into a small time expert in the same field as Flyingfiend and Co!)
Yes it is an interesting thing the law, the Westminster system, dictionary meanings, basically the numbers are stacked, Joe Blow will never win against Big Brother and her might!
Blackfinger
This is becoming more prevelant with smaller organisations.
An accepted and previously audited exposition is suddenly being NCNd for non compliance with the regulations.
Have you graduated from the small sandpit to the large playground with the big boys? Finally and robustly experienced the ridiculous nature of the Regulator in which one day (literally) you are in the good books and the very next day you get belted with a NCN for something that was ok the day before?
What can I say - The house always win!!
Or the following clip is quite appropriate. One could assume the Regulator and Industry are depicted in this scene? You decide which is which.