The Ombud’s mandate is to look into and attempt to resolve concerns about administrative unfairness in territorial public authorities. The mandate also includes public education about the principles of administrative fairness and the Ombud’s role.
The Office of the Northwest Territories Ombud is:
Independent. The Ombud is appointed by the Legislative Assembly, but our work is independent of government and MLAs.
Impartial. We do not take sides. We do not advocate for either complainants or public authorities. Our role is to speak up for fairness.
An office of last resort. Before accepting a complaint, we will usually require that the complainant try to address their concerns directly with the public authority, and/or use any available reviews or appeals.
Confidential. Investigations are conducted in private, and the Office is required to maintain secrecy. We cannot be compelled to give evidence in other proceedings with respect to information that we have as a result of our work for the Office. Statistics and redacted examples of complaints may be published in annual reports.
Free of charge. We do not charge fees to complainants.