News

The Chief Ombudsman’s Kiingitanga/Summer internship programme 2023/24 returns for the fourth time.

Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes has announced his retirement today.

“Peter has made an outstanding and lifelong contribution to the public service in New Zealand" Mr Boshier reflected.

In this issue:

The United Nations Committee against Torture has called on the New Zealand Government to reduce the disproportionately high number of Māori in prisons and to improve the conditions of people in detention, noting that transformational change is needed.

The Chief Ombudsman is calling on the Department of Corrections to never again use spit hoods on vulnerable prisoners including young people and disabled people.

The Chief Ombudsman has upheld a decision by the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment to withhold a text message about Cabinet Minister Kiri Allan.

The Official Information Act (OIA) came into force 40 years ago on 1 July 1983.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says transparency and information access rights remain as important today as in 1983 when the OIA came into effect.

The Chief Ombudsman, Peter Boshier, travelled to regions affected by recent extreme weather events. He wanted to learn about the issues facing communities and grow awareness of services provided by the Ombudsman.

This video gives a brief explanation about what the Chief Ombudsman does in NZSL.

Watch 'What the Ombudsman can do (NZSL)'

Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Disability Convention), disabled people have the right to reasonable accommodation.

The Office of the Ombudsman has commissioned a series of videos explaining the OIA and providing advice and guidance for in those in Deaf community using the Act to seek information from government agencies.

The Ombudsmen Act (OA) is a law that sets out what the Ombudsman can do. It describes the Ombudsman’s:

New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) week is a yearly event organised by Deaf Aotearoa to raise awareness of the language and culture of New Zealand’s Deaf community.

The Chief Ombudsman has published a case note on an investigation about the COVID-19 Minister’s refusal to give the New Zealand Council of Civil Liberties information about vaccination certificates for domestic use.

A new law giving the Chief Ombudsman enhanced powers to oversee Oranga Tamariki comes into effect today. 

The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier is visiting Auckland this week as he continues a series of targeted engagements in some of the regions hit hardest by recent extreme weather events.

The Ombudsman is working with the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the Independent Children’s Monitor to implement a new structure of oversight for the Oranga Tamariki system.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier is recommending that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment apologises to two seafarers over the advice it gave the COVID-19 Response Minister during the pandemic.

The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has published his half-yearly data on Official Information Act (OIA) and Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) complaints.

This guide answers questions about dealing with official information requests during or following extreme emergency events. It:

New Zealand’s reputation as a country mostly free from corruption in its public service and judiciary has been reaffirmed in the 2022 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says.

The Chief Ombudsman has found that a school board’s decision to exclude a student was unreasonable despite the fact the incident in question met the statutory test for gross misconduct.