The Ombudsman Watchers' Critique of Ombudsman Schemes (515)

To the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary:
For Clarity - Attempt 515.


515) The Ombudsman Watchers' Critique of Ombudsman Schemes 3.

Dear Mr Clark,

In the previous blog we saw that democracy was, "the belief in freedom and equality between people." The ombudsman watchers' critiques of ombudsman schemes demonstrate conclusively that the belief has many rivers to cross before being turned into reality.

Naomi Creutzfeldt and Chris Gill's exploration of the lack of accountability of ombudsman schemes continues;
"Some participants felt strongly, as a result, (of independent assessors being paid by the organisations they independently assess) the quality of ombudsman schemes' decisions were subject to almost no external oversight. The perception was expressed that the schemes were analogous to a bean factory where the only concern was on the procedures and efficiency of bean processing and no one tasted the quality of the final product. One participant noted that Parliamentary scrutiny did involve asking some searching questions, but that the evasive answers were not sufficiently followed up. Generally there was a lack of interest and knowledge amongst the public and Parliamentarians about ombudsman schemes and administrative justice, which accountability was weakened."
(www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/critics-of-the-ombudsman-system-understanding-and-engaging-online-citizen-activists)

Ombudsman schemes have clearly gone to remarkable lengths to avoid public scrutiny and democratic accountability. They're having their cake and eating it. As, too, are the markets and businesses they are supposedly, "ombudsing."

Because of the Parliamentary, "lack of interest" miscarriages of justice have become a matter of routine for ombudsman schemes. No one knows how many victims there are because ombudsman schemes such as Ombudsman Services:Property are rigged by its executives so as not to collect the data.

Q. Mr Clark, shouldn't there be an immediate public inquiry into the rigging of what Naomi Creutzfeldt and Chris Gill call, "administrative justice?"

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign is seeking:
- answers from Vince Cable, Norman Lamb, Mark Prisk, Francis Maude, Monk and Partners, Jonathan May, Nick Clegg, The Rev Smith, Dame Julie Mellor, Dame Janet Finch,
Gillian Fleming, Jo Swinson, Sajid Javid and yourself.
- a public inquiry into the workings of Ombudsman Services:Property (a company formerly trading as the SOS before undergoing re-branding) and the role of the RICS.
- compensation for the victims of its ombudsman's illogical Final Decisions and its executives' maladministration.
- the setting up of a truly, "fair" and "independent" redress scheme free from RICS influence.

Please comment or share your story either on the blog or by emailing: shockingsurveys1@gmail.com Thanks. Steve Gilbert.