The Ombudsman’s jurisdiction includes other designated professional authorities as identified and defined in the Ombudsman Act. These organizations are the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta, Alberta Institute of Agrologists, Association of Alberta Forest Management Professionals and Alberta Veterinary Medical Association. All are governed according to bodies of legislation that establish the authority, function and accountability of the organization.

All Acts include a “Complaints to Ombudsman” section, defining the relationship with the Ombudsman such as this example from the Regulated Forest Management Profession Act:

“96 (1) Any person may make a complaint with respect to anything under this Act in accordance with the Ombudsman Act.”

Furthermore,

(2) “The Association, the Council or a panel, a committee, a tribunal, the Registrar, the Chair, the chair of the complaints inquiry committee and the hearings director of the Association and any officer, investigator or person engaged by the Association may, on the recommendation of the Ombudsman,

(a) rehear any matter and reconsider any decision or recommendation made by that person or body, and

(b) quash, confirm or vary the decision or recommendation or any part of it.

(3) If a matter is reheard or reconsidered pursuant to subsection (2), the provisions of this Act governing the original hearing or consideration apply to the rehearing or reconsideration.”

Resources

Administrative Fairness Guidelines (Cover)

Outlining principles rooted in administrative law that explain how fair decisions are made

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Providing public organizations a complaints process self-assessment check list and a model complaints policy.

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Encouraging public organizations to internally assess their programs and evaluate the fairness of their systems, policies and practices.

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