Annexes X. Instructions for the Parliamentary Ombudsman for Public Administration Adopted by the Storting on 19 February 1980 under section 2 of the Act of 22 June 1962 No. 8 relating to the Parliamentary Ombudsman for Public Administration. Amended by administrative decisions of 22 October 1996 No. 1479, 14 June 2000 No. 1712, 2 December 2003 No. 1898, 12 June 2007 No. 1101 and 17 June 2013 No. 1251. Section 1. Purpose (See section 3 of the Parliamentary Ombudsman Act) As far as possible, the complainant should provide an account of the grounds for the complaint and present evidence and other documents in the case. The Parliamentary Ombudsman for Public Administration shall seek to ensure that individual citizens are not unjustly treated by the public administration and that senior officials, officials and others engaged in the service of the public administration do not make errors or neglect their duties. Section 4. Exceeding the time limit for complaints Section 2. Sphere of responsibility (See section 4 of the Parliamentary Ombudsman Act) The Norwegian Parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Committee shall not be considered as part of the public administration for the purposes of the Parliamentary Ombudsman Act. The Ombudsman shall not consider complaints concerning the intelligence, surveillance and security services that the Committee has already considered. The Ombudsman shall not consider complaints about cases dealt with by the Storting’s ex gratia payments committee. The exception for the activities of the courts of law under section 4, first paragraph, c), also includes decisions that may be brought before a court by means of a complaint, appeal or other judicial remedy. Amended by Storting decisions of 22 October 1996 No. 1479, 2 December 2003 No. 1898 (in force from 1 January 2004), 17 June 2013 No. 1251 (in force from 1 July 2013). Section 3. Formulating and substantiating complaints (See section 6 of the Parliamentary Ombudsman Act) Complaints may be submitted directly to the Ombudsman. A complaint should be made in writing and be signed by the complainant or a person acting on their behalf. In the event that the Ombudsman receives an oral complaint, he shall ensure that it is immediately recorded in writing and signed by the complainant. (See section 6 of the Parliamentary Ombudsman Act) If the time limit for a complaint under section 6 of the Act – 1 (one) year – has been exceeded, this does not prevent the Ombudsman from taking up the matter on his own initiative. Section 5. Conditions for considering a complaint If a complaint is made concerning a decision that the complainant is entitled to have reviewed by a higher administrative body, the Ombudsman shall not deal with the complaint unless he finds that there are special grounds for considering it immediately. The Ombudsman shall give the complainant advice on their right to have the decision reviewed through administrative channels. If the complainant is unable to have the decision reviewed because the time limit for complaints has been exceeded, the Ombudsman shall decide whether the circumstances indicate that he should nevertheless consider the case. If a complaint concerns other matters that can be brought before a higher administrative authority or specific regulatory body, the Ombudsman should direct the complainant to take up the case with the competent authority or to submit the case to the authority in question, unless the Ombudsman finds special grounds for considering the case immediately himself. The provisions of the first and second paragraphs do not apply if the King is the only complaints body available. Section 6. Investigating complaints (See sections 7 and 8 of the Parliamentary Ombudsman Act) Complaints which the Ombudsman considers further Norway’s National Preventive Mechanism – Annual Report 2014 71