66 ANNUAL REPORT 2010 WHAT DID WE DO IN THE CASES? We concluded 4,853 cases in 2010. Of these, 875 (18.0 per cent) were substantively investigated and 3,978 (82.0 per cent) were rejected. Substantively investigated cases As mentioned in the introduction to this appendix, the category of ­substantively investigated cases includes cases where the Ombudsman carries out an investigation in which he submits the case to the relevant authority or authorities for c­ onsultation and concludes the case with a statement. These cases may be ­complaint cases, inspections or cases initiated on the Ombudsman’s own initiative. The category also includes cases subjected to what is referred to as a ­shortened substantive investigation. These may be complaint cases where the ­Ombudsman, after reviewing the information available in the case, assesses that a full ­substantive investigation of the case is unlikely to result in criticism of the ­authorities or some other way of helping the citizen with the outcome of the case. Therefore, the Ombudsman usually concludes these cases without ­obtaining statements from the authorities. Typically, the Ombudsman investigates the complaint and the case in the same way as in a full substantive investigation. Cases subjected to a shortened substantive investigation may also be cases initiated by the ­Ombudsman on his own initiative where he questions the authorities about certain matters and on the basis of their replies chooses not to take any further steps in the case. Cases subjected to a shortened substantive investigation are governed by section 16(2) and section 17(1) of the Ombudsman Act. In 2010, 450 (51.4 per cent) of the cases subjected to a substantive investigation were concluded after a shortened investigation as described above. Occasionally an authority will reopen a case as a result of the Ombudsman’s request for a statement. This means that the authorities will reconsider the case and as they cannot therefore be said to have concluded it, the Ombudsman will virtually always discontinue his investigation of the case. The authorities may not change their original decision, but in practice, the effect is the same as if the Ombudsman had recommended that the authorities reconsider the case. In 2010, a total of 42 cases were concluded on this basis. Of the cases subjected to a full substantive investigation, 246 did not give rise to criticism and/or recommendation in relation to the relevant authority.