NICTS Complaints Policy
The Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service is committed to improving its quality of service to all court users. By making comments about our services you enable us to improve them. By making a complaint you enable us to put things right.
Our Policy on Complaints
NICTS welcomes comments on the quality of the services we deliver and suggestions on how we can improve our services. NICTS staff will always seek to act according to the principles of fairness, honesty, integrity, and respect. We expect that if you wish to make a complaint you will also uphold these principles and remain factual and respectful. NICTS will not respond to complaints which are abusive in nature, make unfounded allegations against staff or make repeated requests that, whether intended or not, only serve to burden the Agency.
The time limit for submitting a complaint is six months from the date of the incident. We recognise that there may be exceptional circumstances where it is not possible to make a complaint within the time limit. These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
How to make a complaint
- Provide your name and address.
- Explain clearly what you are complaining about and the resolution you are seeking.
- Give as much detail as possible about the complaint including dates, case reference numbers, particular events, and names of staff you spoke to at the time.
Please email your complaint to: Complaints@courtsni.gov.uk
Postal Address -
Corporate Support Branch
Laganside House
23-27 Oxford Street
Belfast
BT1 3LA
We will respond to all complaints within the timescales detailed in the process below. Our response to your complaint will be provided in written format via email or post. If you require a response in an alternative format, you can request this by using the contact details above.
All complaints will be acknowledged within 3 working days. The acknowledgement will inform you when you should expect to receive a response to your complaint.
If the complaint has been made verbally you may be asked to document the complaint in writing, or by email, to the contact details above.
The complaint will be passed to the relevant business area of NICTS, who will investigate it and prepare a response. NICTS recognises the importance of ensuring that all complainants, including those for whom English is not their first language, or have communication barriers, are able to establish the full details of their complaint and the resolution being sought. In these circumstances a meeting with the complainant may be appropriate to enable the complaint investigation to proceed.
We will issue a response to the complaint within 15 working days of receipt of the complaint. This is known as Stage 1 of the complaints process.
At this stage, if you are unhappy with our response, your complaint can be escalated for further review and will be overseen by a more senior member of NICTS staff.
A request for a review must be made within 30 calendar days of the date of the Stage 1 response. We will issue you with the outcome of this review within 15 working days of receipt of the escalation. This is known as Stage 2 of the complaints process.
If you remain dissatisfied with our response following this second stage, you can raise the complaint with the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO). The time limit for referring your complaint to NIPSO is six months from the date of the Stage 2 response.
You can refer your case to NIPSO in the following ways:
Further information and how to submit an online complaint is available on the NIPSO website
In writing:
NIPSO
Freepost BEL 1478
Belfast BT1 6BR
By email: nipso@nipso.org.uk
By telephone: 028 9023 3821 (or Free phone 0800 343424)
Text Phone: 028 9089 7789
In person at:
Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
Progressive House
33 Wellington Place
Belfast BT1 6HN
NIPSO provides a free and independent service. It is expected that you will have exhausted the full extent of the Department’s complaints procedure before your case would be considered.
How we will handle your information
We will only use the personal information you provide to administer your complaint and to provide the services you have requested from us. The information you provide will also help us improve the services we provide.
The types of data that we collect are only those details necessary for the investigation of your complaint.
For further details of the Department's Privacy Notice read our NICTS/Privacy Policy Notice
When our procedures do not apply
NICTS does not have the authority to deal with the types of complaints listed below;
Judicial Decisions
You cannot use our procedure if your complaint is about a judicial decision, even if you feel the decision is not correct. In these circumstances you should get legal advice as soon as possible.
Judicial Conduct
If you have a complaint about the way a member of the judiciary has behaved towards you (not the way that they have handled the case nor if the decision went against you) you should contact:
The Complaints Officer
Lady Chief Justice's
Royal Courts of Justice
Chichester Street
Belfast BT1 3JF
Telephone: 0300 200 7812
Email: JudicialComplaints@judiciaryni.uk
Tribunal Members
Complaints about tribunal members are determined by the President of the Tribunal, however, the Lady Chief Justice may determine certain complaints about tribunal members.
Barristers
If you have a complaint about a barrister you should contact The Secretary of the Professional Conduct Committee:
The Bar Library
91 Chichester Street
Belfast BT1 3JQ
Solicitors
If you have a complaint about a solicitor you should contact:
The Law Society of Northern Ireland
Law Society House
96 Victoria Street
Belfast
BT1 3GN
Telephone: 028 9023 1614
Public Prosecution Service
If you have a complaint about the Public Prosecution Service you should contact:
Public Prosecution Service Community Liaison
Public Prosecution Service
Belfast Chambers
93 Chichester Street
Belfast
BT1 3JR
Telephone: 028 9089 7070
Fax: 028 9089 7069
Email: complaints@ppsni.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.ppsni.gov.uk