The Office of the Complaints Commissioner (Ombudsman) recently hosted a focused training session for the new Commissioner and staff on the Complaints Commissioner’s Ordinance.
The session formed a key part of the new Commissioner’s orientation and reinforced the Office’s commitment to fair, lawful and consistent handling of complaints, a statement from the department reported.

With guidance and support from The Attorney General’s Chambers, participants reviewed the Ordinance section by section, clarifying the scope of the Commissioner’s powers, the procedures for handling complaints, and the standards that guide investigations and recommendations.

The Office said that for newer staff, the training provided a strong foundation in the legal framework of the Office. For longer-serving officers, it served as a timely refresher and an opportunity to reflect on how the law is applied in practice, it added.

“The Complaints Commissioner’s Ordinance is at the heart of what we do,” Cherylann Jones, recently appointed Complaints Commissioner, noted. “It is important that everyone in the Office understands not just what the law says, but how it should guide our day-to-day work with members of the public and with public authorities.”

The initiative reportedly forms part of a broader program to strengthen the capacity of the Office as a key good governance institution.

In the coming months, similar awareness sessions are planned with selected ministries, departments, other public functionaries and the public in general, to increase understanding of the role of the Ombudsman and the value of the Office as an independent mechanism for resolving complaints and improving public administration, the statement read.