{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-commissioner-for-children-and-young-people-northern-ireland-order-2003/article-12",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-commissioner-for-children-and-young-people-northern-ireland-order-2003/article-12.json",
  "legislation": "ukdsi/2003/0110443055",
  "legislation_title": "The Commissioner for Children and Young People (Northern Ireland) Order 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-commissioner-for-children-and-young-people-northern-ireland-order-2003",
  "path": "article/12",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "12",
  "heading": "Investigation of complaints against relevant authorities",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraph (2) and Article 13, the Commissioner may conduct an investigation into a complaint made by a child or young person—\n(a) that his rights have been infringed by any action taken by a relevant authority; or\n(b) that his interests have been adversely affected by any such action.\n(2) The Commissioner shall not exercise his power under paragraph (1) in relation to a complaint unless he is satisfied that—\n(a) the complaint raises a question of principle; and\n(b) the complaint does not fall within an existing statutory complaints system.\n(3) For the purposes of paragraph (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—\n(a) that body or person has power under a statutory provision to investigate the complaint; or\n(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.\n(4) Where the Commissioner decides not to conduct an investigation into a complaint made under paragraph (1), he shall prepare a statement of his reasons for that decision and shall send a copy of the statement to—\n(a) the complainant; and\n(b) such other persons (if any) as the Commissioner considers appropriate.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2003/0110443055/article/12",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-30T15:25:42.613339+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}