The Civil Ombudsman

You can complain to the Civil Ombudsman if you believe you have been exposed to injustice or errors from the public administration. This could be, for example, if you believe that a decision or a decision is wrong, or that your case has been treated in an incorrect or unjustifiable way by the authorities. The ombudsman makes a legal and objective assessment of your complaint. It is free to complain.

When can I complain?

Before you complain to the Civil Ombudsman, the administration must be given the opportunity to sort things out and take a final position on your case. You must therefore have used all the appeal possibilities available in the administration. This means that a complaint concerning a municipal decision must first be processed by the State Administrator.

When the administration has taken a final position on the questions the case concerns, you can complain to the Civil Ombudsman.

Remember that you must complain to the Civil Ombudsman within one year of the final decision in your case being made. If your complaint concerns late case processing or a lack of response, you can complain while the case is still pending, but you must have notified first. The reminder must be in writing and attached to your complaint to the Norwegian Ombudsman.

What can I complain about?

The civil ombudsman assesses complaints concerning municipal, county and state administration. The complaints cover most areas of law dealt with by the public sector:

Planning and building
Social security and pension
Health and care services
Social assistance and child protection
Appointment matters
Communication
Taxes and fees
Immigration matters
Publicity and transparency
Police and prosecution
Industry, agriculture and reindeer husbandry
Correctional care

In addition, the ombudsman deals with a number of complaints about long processing times and lack of answers.

What can't I complain about?

Although the Civil Ombudsman can investigate most types of matters dealt with by the public administration, there are some cases the Ombudsman cannot deal with:

the courts' decisions, as well as decisions that can be brought directly before the courts by complaint or appeal
matters on which the Storting has taken a position
decisions made in the Cabinet
disagreements between private individuals, for example disputes in neighboring relationships or private contractual relationships
cases where the public does not exercise public authority, but acts as a private party
matters decided by the municipal council or county council (some exceptions)

Is my complaint suitable for the Civil Ombudsman?

The civil ombudsman is a control body which itself decides which cases are taken up for consideration. Certain questions are not suitable for consideration and a statement by the ombudsman. These matters may include:

conflicts between private individuals and the administration where there is disagreement about the actual conditions, or where inspection is important for the outcome
discretionary and professional assessments made by the administration
cases where parties need a legally binding decision