About Ombudsmen

An ombudsman is a government official tasked with investigating complaints about a service or a government agency. Governments generally appoint them; however, they can also be appointed by private corporations. In India, they are responsible for settling complaints about banking, insurance, and income tax. The most important feature of this plan is that the decisions are binding on banks, insurance firms, and the tax agency, but not on the complaint. If an individual is dissatisfied with the ombudsman’s decision, he can seek a remedy through other sources. In other nations, ombudsmen are referred to by various names, such as public advocates or national defenders.

You cannot contact an ombudsman directly. They will examine your case if you have filed a complaint with the appropriate authority and have not received a response. Within a year of obtaining a response from the responsible authorities, the complaint shall be filed. If you received no response from the authority, you should file the follow-up complaint within 13 months after making the initial complaint. Although a complaint form is available, you can also submit it on plain paper. The necessary information on the matter must be stated and sent to the ombudsman’s office.

Grievances can also be sent to the ombudsman by email. However, the complainant will be required to sign a copy of the complaint at the ombudsman’s office. Ombudsmen are not constrained by legal evidence requirements and are free to follow whatever methods they believe are fair and suitable. The proceedings are brief. Within three months after receiving a complaint, an ombudsman must render a decision. Awards bind banks, insurance companies, and the IRS.

The complainant should provide feedback of satisfaction within 15 days. The award will lapse due to no acceptance within this time frame. Within a month of following the ruling, the authority against whom the complaint was filed must tell the ombudsman how it has complied with the award.

Advantages and Disadvantages of an Ombudsman

People can use ombudsmen to file complaints against institutions (such as governments, corporations, organisations, news outlets, and schools) without fear of retaliation from the complainant. They perform fair and unbiased investigations and provide remedies or mediation services at no expense to the complaint.

Ombudsmen can investigate, expose, and assist change illegal activity when it exists. They help prevent governments from misusing their authority by enacting unjust laws and exercising unrestricted control over their subjects. They also aid in the restoration of trust in the system’s ability to solve challenges fairly. Industry ombudsman, Organisational ombudsman, Classical ombudsman, Advocate ombudsman are some of the types.

Key Takeaways

• Complaints against corporations and other groups, including the government, are investigated by an ombudsman.
• An ombudsman’s ruling may or may not be legally binding, depending on the jurisdiction.
• Even though the judgement is not bound in legality, it usually carries a lot of weight.