Jurisdictional Complaints - What we oversee

When you contact the Office of the Ombudsman with a complaint, an initial assessment is done to determine if the Office has jurisdiction to investigate. The Ombudsman may investigate complaints against specific organizations in Nova Scotia. The organizations that are the subject of complaints are called “respondents.” Respondents may be one of the following:

• Provincial Government Departments
• Provincial Agencies, Boards, and Commissions
• Municipal Governments

Even if your complaint is related to one of the above-mentioned respondents, there are several reasons why we may determine that the complaint would not be investigated and perhaps directed elsewhere:

• The respondent has a complaint process or appeal process that you have not yet followed
• The complaint is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings
• The complaint is frivolous and vexatious in nature
• The complaint has been addressed by the Office of the Ombudsman previously

Often, we receive complaints unrelated to one of the specific respondents that are subject to the Ombudsman’s mandate. These complaints are considered non-jurisdictional. For further information on non-jurisdictional complaints click here.