Will we be able to deal with your complaint?
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission can admit between 60pc to 70pc of the complaints made by members of the public. In order for your complaint to be deemed admissible per the criteria set out in the Garda Síochána Act 2005, you should be able to answer ‘yes’ to each of the following three questions
These questions address three of the major reasons why we cannot deal with complaints.
- Did the incident you are complaining about happen to you? If not, were you there in person and did you see it happen, or are you complaining on behalf of someone that this happened to, with their permission?
- Is the matter you are complaining of a criminal offence? If not, do you think it would amount to a breach of discipline by the garda?
- Did the incident happen within the last year? If not, do you have a good reason for not being able to make the complaint within a year?
If we admit (or decide to investigate) your complaint, the investigation will be focused on trying to establish independent evidence of any criminal offence or breach of discipline by a garda.
If we find evidence of a criminal offence or breach of discipline, we report to the DPP or the Garda Commissioner who then decide what, if any, further action they will take.
In some cases, we may be able to resolve your complaint if you and the garda about whom the complaint is made agree to participate in an informal process.