The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about a court report. It was part of a court process, and the accuracy of its contents cannot be separated from that.
The complaint
Mrs X said that while the content of a court report had no bearing on the case for which the Council produced it, she was not prepared for a public document littered with inaccuracies to remain on record.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We cannot investigate a complaint about the start of court action or what happened in court. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5/5A, paragraph 1/3, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
The s.37 report was produced for a court case.
Final decision
We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint because the document about whose accuracy she complains was produced for court proceedings.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman