Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions in confiscating material Mr X had handed out at a meeting. This is because his personal injustice is insufficient to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains that material he was handing out at a meeting on behalf of a third party was confiscated by a Council officer causing him to feel intimidated and discriminated against because of beliefs he holds.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. We do not investigate every complaint we receive and while I note Mr X was upset and aggrieved when material he was handing out at a meeting on behalf of a third party was confiscated, his own personal injustice is limited and insufficient to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman as the material did not concern a matter that directly impacted him.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because his personal injustice is insufficient to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman