Designing an English Public Services Ombudsman

Abstract

This article explores the question of how to integrate the ombudsman community in England, a proposal for which there is much support but less agreement on the way forward. It is argued that, in the long-term, successful reform will not occur unless three distinct perspectives on administrative justice are incorporated into the proposal to form a single public services ombudsman for England. This approach points to a set of strong principles that should direct redesign of the ombudsman sector in England in order to establish an institution capable of responding to current and future demands.

Keywords::

• administrative justice
• public services ombudsman
• harmonization
• public services
• redress design

Notes

^1. For a summary of the evolution of ombudsman schemes in the UK, see Gill et al. 2013, pp. 9–13.

^2. Applying the work of Hall (1993) and Kuhn (1970). Le Sueur argues that redress design tends to come in three layers: first, second and third order change, op. cit., n.2, pp.18–26.

^3. For example, Jim Martin (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman), in evidence to the Public Administration Select Committee, HC 655-ii (2013–2014b), 10 December 2013.

^4. When the AJTC staged a conference to discuss the prospects of harmonization in the ombudsman community, this was precisely the response of the majority of the participants who were drawn from all sectors of the administrative justice community (AJTC, 2012).

^5. See the submission of Which to PASC (Public Administration Select Committee) (2013–2014a).