# Commissioner for Older People Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, Section 8: Investigation of complaints against relevant authorities


(1) Subject to subsection (2) and section 9, the Commissioner may conduct an investigation into a complaint made by an older person that the interests of the older person have been adversely affected by any action taken by a relevant authority.
(2) The Commissioner may not exercise the Commissioner's power under subsection (1) in relation to a complaint unless the Commissioner is satisfied that—
(a) the complaint raises a question of principle; and
(b) the complaint does not fall within an existing statutory complaints system.
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), a complaint falls within an existing statutory complaints system if a statutory provision confers power on a person to make the complaint to a body or person and—
(a) that body or person has power under a statutory provision to investigate the complaint; or
(b) that body or person would have power under a statutory provision to investigate the complaint but for some exclusion or restriction in that statutory provision.
(4) Where the Commissioner decides not to conduct an investigation into a complaint made under subsection (1), the Commissioner must prepare a statement of the Commissioner's reasons for that decision and must send a copy of the statement to—
(a) the complainant; and
(b) such other persons (if any) as the Commissioner considers appropriate.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2011/1/section/8 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/commissioner-for-older-people-act-northern-ireland-2011/section-8
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.