A Manifesto for Ombudsman Reform

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Chris Gill, Richard Kirkham

   Pages 1-11

3. Five Principles for a New Public Services Ombudsman

   • Richard Kirkham, Chris Gill

   Pages 13-39

4. The Public Services Ombud and the Claims of Democracy

   • Nick O’Brien

   Pages 41-57

5. The Ombud’s Jurisdiction: Integration, Specialism, and Territorial Scope

   • Carolyn Hirst, Chris Gill

   Pages 59-75

6. The Ombud and Own-Initiative Investigation Powers

   • Chris Gill

   Pages 77-94

7. The Ombud and ‘Complaint Standards Authority’ Powers

   • Chris Gill

   Pages 95-107

8. Managing Complaints: Focusing on Users and Non-users of the System

   • Naomi Creutzfeldt

   Pages 109-125

9. Strengthening Procedural Fairness and Transparency Through Ombudsman Legislation

   • Richard Kirkham

   Pages 127-142

10. The Challenges of Independence, Accountability and Governance in the Ombudsman Sector

    • Brian Thompson

    Pages 143-158

11. Back Matter

    Pages 159-163

    PDF

This book seeks to persuade policy-makers and legislators of the need for legislative reform of the ombudsman sector, and to evidence the ways in which such reformative legislation can be designed. In pursuing this goal, this edited collection represents an academic response to a challenge laid down by the current Parliamentary Ombudsman in February 2018, at a JUSTICE event. It draws on the original research of the authors and bases its proposals for reform on a fundamental re-assessment of the focus and purpose of ombudsman systems. A Manifesto for Ombudsman Reform deals with key, recurring controversies in ombudsman scholarship, including the role that the ombudsman should be fulfilling, the procedures it should employ, the powers that are necessary for effectiveness, and the means of ensuring both freedom of operation and accountability. It will inform academic and policy debates about the future of the ombudsman institution in the UK and its analysis should be of interest to academics and policy-makers in other jurisdictions.

• administrative justice
• socio-legal studies
• public law
• social justice
• legal reform
• criminal justice

“Since the first ombudsman reached our shores in 1967, ombudsmen have proliferated and proved popular and successful. From time to time, ombudsmen have popped up in private and public contexts - we cannot talk of a public ombudsman system. A draft Public Ombudsmen Bill which was on the table was crowded out by Brexit. Back to the drawing board. The editors and authors of the present book advocate deeper and more systematic change. All have studied ombudsmen over many years and all who read this scholarly book will agree that no one is better qualified. Roll on reform, please!” (Professor Carol Harlow, London School of Economics, UK)

• Sheffield University, Sheffield, UK

  Richard Kirkham

• University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

  Chris Gill

Richard Kirkham is Senior Lecturer in Public Law at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Chris Gill is Lecturer in Public Law at the University of Glasgow, UK.

Policies and ethics