The Commissioner for Complaints (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Application to High Court for relief following report by Commissioner

17.—(1) This Article applies where on an investigation under this Order the Commissioner reports that a person aggrieved has sustained injustice in consequence of maladministration and it appears to the Commissioner (whether or not so stated in his report) that—

(a) the body concerned had previously engaged in conduct which was of the same kind as, or of a similar kind to, that which amounted to such maladministration; and

(b) that body is likely, unless relief is granted by the High Court under this Article, to engage in future in such conduct.

(2) Where this Article applies the Attorney General may, at the request of the Commissioner, apply to the High Court for the grant of relief under this Article.

(3) On an application under this Article the High Court may, if satisfied as to the matters mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (1), grant such mandatory or other injunction or such declaration or other relief as appears to the court to be proper in all the circumstances, including an injunction restraining the body concerned or any member or officer of that body from engaging in, or causing or permitting others to engage in, conduct of the same kind as that which amounted to maladministration or conduct of any similar kind specified by the court.

(4) The High Court may in determining for the purposes of an application under this Article whether a body has engaged in a course of conduct, take into account not only the action investigated by the Commissioner on the complaint of the person aggrieved but also any other action whether or not the subject of an investigation by the Commissioner which appears to the court to be relevant.