Commissions for Local Administration

English Legal System: Commissions For Local Administration

In the context of the English law, A Dictionary of Law provides the following legal concept of Commissions For Local Administration : Two commissions, one each for England and Wales, that were established by the Local Government Act 1974 to investigate complaints by the public of injustice suffered through maladministration by local authorities, police authorities, the National Rivers Authority, and housing action trusts. The *Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration is a member of both commissions and there are three Local Government Commissioners (or Ombudsmen) for England and one for Wales. Certain matters (e.g. decisions affecting the public generally and the conduct of criminal investigations) are outside their competence. Complaints to a Commissioner must normally be made in writing through a member of the authority concerned, within one year of the date on which the matter first came to the complainant’s notice, but if a complaint is not duly passed on it can be accepted directly by the Commissioner. Commissioners’ reports are sent to the complainant and the authority concerned and are also made public.