There is.
Let me give you an example of something that's not an ethical issue. There is a prohibition in the law against stealing. It doesn't keep people from stealing from time to time, and there are penalties involved if people are found guilty of doing that. I have no power to impose sanctions on anyone. All I can do is report the event--in this case it was a public office holder--to the Prime Minister, whose job it would be to decide what, if anything, to do.