(1)In this Act the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say—
“action” includes failure to act, and other expressions connoting action shall be construed accordingly;
“the Commissioner” means the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration;
“the Court” means, in relation to England and Wales the High Court, in relation to Scotland the Court of Session, and in relation to Northern Ireland the High Court of Northern Ireland;
“enactment” includes an enactment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, and any instrument made by virtue of an enactment;
[F1“Local Commissioner” means a Local Commissioner under Part 3 of the Local Government Act 1974;]
“officer” includes employee;
[F2“person aggrieved”—
in relation to a complaint under section 5(1) of this Act, means the person who claims or is alleged to have sustained such injustice as is mentioned in section 5(1)(a) of this Act;
in relation to a complaint under section 5(1A) of this Act, means the person to whom the duty referred to in section 5(1A)(a) of this Act is or is alleged to be owed;]
“tribunal” includes the person constituting a tribunal consisting of one person.
(2)References in this Act to any enactment are references to that enactment as amended or extended by or under any other enactment.
(3)It is hereby declared that nothing in this Act authorises or requires the Commissioner to question the merits of a decision taken without maladministration by a government department or other authority in the exercise of a discretion vested in that department or authority.
Textual Amendments
F1S. 12(1): definition inserted (1.8.2007) by The Regulatory Reform (Collaboration etc. between Ombudsmen) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/1889), art. 16
F2S. 12(1): definition substituted (18.10.2005) by Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (c. 28), ss. 47, 60, Sch. 7 para. 6; S.I. 2005/2848, art. 2(b)