Friday 16 October - Sunday 18 October: Complaint form offline

The supplier of our case management system has confirmed that they are experiencing a significant technical issue.

At present, we have no access to the case management system and we are currently unable to take new Public Service Complaints or provide updates on cases. We are planning on the basis that this could continue for a period of time including next week.

Please be assured we are doing all we can and will provide updates on our website.

For an all service update: Service update | SPSO

What can I do if I want to challenge an SPSO decision on a complaint?

You can ask the Ombudsman to review the decision. How to do this, and what the review process covers are set out under our decision review page; the Ombudsman’s review is the final, independent stage of the public service complaints and whistleblowing processes, and once she has made a final decision there are no further stages.

In some situations, judicial review may be open to you. The judicial review process is a legal way to challenge the decisions of a public body in court. It is different to the SPSO’s internal review process. Time limits apply to the judicial review process which means you should act quickly if you are considering this. As judicial review is a legal process, the SPSO cannot advise you, so you may need to consider taking independent legal advice.

Updated: December 23, 2022