A Provincial Government Worker Was Abusive to Me

If you believe that a decision or action of a provincial public agency has been unfair, rude, unduly slow, negligent, arbitrary, oppressive or unlawful, you can make a complaint to the BC Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can deal with complaints about provincial government ministries, municipal and regional governments, Crown corporations and government boards. It can also deal with complaints about hospitals, health agencies, schools, colleges, universities and self-regulated professions such as the Law Society of BC, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia.

First steps

1. Make notes of the names of the officials you deal with, their actions and the relevant dates.
2. Keep copies of all relevant documents.
3. If your complaint is about a decision, get reasons for the decision.
4. Ask if the agency has its own process for reviewing or appealing the decision. If so, use it.
5. If you are not satisfied with the agency's complaint resolution, complete and send in a complaint form within one year of the action you are complaining about. (See Ombudsman in the Resource List for contact and website information on the BC Ombudsman complaint process.)

What happens next

You will be contacted by a worker from the Office of the Ombudsman to discuss your complaint. If the complaint proceeds, the public agency will be notified and asked to respond. If this does not resolve the complaint, the Office of the Ombudsman will conduct a further investigation and may make recommendations to the agency and, if necessary, to the legislature. For the most serious issues, the Ombudsman may issue a public report.

The Ombudsman does not have the authority to order a public agency to take certain action. However, because the Ombudsman reports directly to the BC Legislature, agencies usually do not ignore the Ombudsman's recommendations.

If you are not happy with the investigation, you can contact the Manager of Investigations at the Ombudsman's office.

The Ombudsman may refuse to investigate if you have not used an internal review process. For example, many decisions denying welfare benefits can be reviewed and repealed under the Employment and Income Assistance Act. Use that review/appeal process first before going to the Ombudsman.

Where to get help

See the Resource List for a list of helpful resources. Your best bets are:

• Ombudsman, including the Ombudsman website, which has "useful contacts" to make complaints about nongovernmental service providers such as lawyers, doctors and banks.
• The Law Students' Legal Advice Program Manual chapter on "Public Complaints Procedures."
• Access Pro Bono, Lawyer Referral Service, and private bar lawyers.

Your local MLA (Member of the BC Legislative Assembly) may also be willing to help with your complaint against a BC public agency. Call Enquiry BC at 1-800-663-7867 for contact information for your MLA.

Before meeting with a lawyer or advocate, complete the form Preparing for Your Interview included in this Guide. Make sure you bring copies of all documents relating to your case.

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by David Eby, January 2013.

Legal Help for British Columbians © Cliff Thorstenson and Courthouse Libraries BC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.

Acts or omissions that are contrary to legislation or the common law. See "lawful."

In law, (1) the federal and provincial governments and their departments and agencies, or (2) lawyers employed by the federal and provincial governments to prosecute criminal offences.

In law, the re-examination of a term of an order or agreement, usually to determine whether the term remains fair and appropriate in light of the circumstances prevailing at the time of the review. In family law, particularly the review of an order or agreement provided for the payment of spousal support. See "de novo," "family law agreements," "order" and "spousal support."

An application to a higher court for a review of the correctness of a decision of a lower court. A decision of a judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia can be appealed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. A decision of a judge of the Supreme Court can be appealed to the Court of Appeal for British Columbia. See "appellant" and "respondent."

A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."

(1) A lawyer or a person other than a lawyer who helps clients with legal issues, or (2) to argue a position on behalf of someone.

(1) In law, a court proceeding; a lawsuit; an action; a cause of action; a claim. (2) A historic decision of the court; case law. See "action," "case law, " "court proceeding," and "precedent."