Revisiting the System of Radiological Protection: The Principle of Justification

The principle of justification is intended to ensure the net benefit of a proposed activity that would alter radiation exposure. While the concept is simple and easy to understand, its application, including the basis for judgments and the process for reaching a decision, is not straightforward. It has been demonstrated in the last decades that the decision-making process in radiological protection and safety requires not only scientific and technical rationality but also consideration of stakeholder views to appropriately reflect societal and ethical values. In view of these emerging challenges, the International Commission on Radiological Protection created Task Group 124 for the purpose of revisiting and modernizing the principle of justification. The Task Group collected various views and opinions of radiation protection experts through an online workshop and an international conference. They were examined to identify areas that need further clarification and to extract ideas that were not given sufficient consideration in the past. The Task Group is working to compile a report that identifies essential elements and key perspectives in the decision-making process for justification. It aims to clarify what "do more good than harm" means in society today and on what basis the judgment should be made.