How to make a complaint
The best way to complain is in person at the time. By doing this, court staff can address your concerns immediately and may be able to resolve matters without your facing unnecessary inconvenience. If you do not get a satisfactory answer from the staff you are dealing with, or you would prefer to complain in writing, you should write to the senior manager of the court. This is the Sheriff Clerk or, in the Court of Session and the High Court, the Deputy Principal Clerk. You will find details of how to contact the senior manager on the notice board in public areas or from the court contact section.
If your complaint is not about the Scottish Court Service or its staff and relates to a member of the judiciary, a solicitor, social worker, police officer or fiscal - see the complaints and feedback section.
What you need to tell us when complaining
You should give us as much information as possible when making a complaint. You should include:
- Your name and address:
While we do not make telephone contact on every occasion, it is sometimes helpful to do so. If you do not mind receiving a telephone call about your complaint, please provide a telephone number we can use. We would normally telephone between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. - Why you were using our services.
For example you asked for advice or information you were a witness you were on jury service you came to court as a victim or an accused person. - When and where the incident you want to complain about happened.
- Where appropriate, who you want to complain about.
We will normally identify ourselves by name when writing or telephoning.
Explain as clearly as you can what you are complaining about. Say what you would like us to do to put things right.
Responding to your complaint
We want to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction and so we have a robust internal complaint handling process in place.
Once we have received your complaint we will:
- Send you an acknowledgement usually within two working days of when we receive it.
- Investigate your complaint thoroughly.
- Send you a full reply within 20 working days of each stage in our complaints procedure being activated.
- Let you know if we cannot respond within this timescale.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive to your complaint to the Sheriff Clerk or the Deputy Principal clerk (senior manager) you may ask the Sheriffdom Business Manager or the Principal Clerk to review the matter.
Any written reply you have received from the senior manager will tell you how to do this. You will also find that information on the notice board in public areas, and court staff will provide this on request.
If you are not satisfied with the response from the Sheriffdom Business Manager or the Principal Clerk, you can write to the Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service 1A Parliament Square, Edinburgh, EH1 1RF. The Chief Executive will appoint a senior member of staff to review your complaint and its handling.
This review is the final stage of our complaints procedure.
Scottish Public Service Ombudsman
If we have not been able to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction internally, you may ask the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman to consider your complaint.
The Ombudsman will normally act only:
- When the complaint has been fully investigated using our internal complaint handling process.
- If the complaint is referred within 12 months of the issue originally arising. The Ombudsman will only consider the complaint outwith that period if there are special circumstances.
- If the complaint is made by the “person aggrieved” or by a person authorised in writing for the purpose of the “person aggrieved”.
- If the complaint is made in writing or electronically unless the Ombudsman is satisfied that there are special circumstances which is appropriate to consider a complaint orally.
Contact
The Scottish Public Service Ombudsman
4 Melville Street Edinburgh
EH3 7NS
Tel no: 0870 011 5378
Fax no: 0870 011 5379
http://www.spso.org.uk/