Under the Ombudsman Act, the Ombudsman is established as an independent officer of the House of Assembly, with all the powers, privileges, and immunities of a commissioner appointed under the Public Inquiries Act. The primary mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman is to respond to citizens’ complaints arising from the administration of provincial or municipal laws in Nova Scotia. The Ombudsman also has the authority to conduct investigations on his or her own motion, and when specific matters are referred to the Office by the House of Assembly. In addition, under the Civil Service Disclosure of Wrongdoing Regulations, the Ombudsman has been assigned as an avenue for civil service employees to bring forward concerns regarding wrongdoing in the workplace.

The Ombudsman for Nova Scotia is Dwight L. Bishop.

The website for the Office of the Ombudsman is http://www.gov.ns.ca/ombu

The Office of the Ombudsman is located at:

5670 Spring Garden Road, Suite 700
P.O. Box 2152
Halifax, NS B3J 3B7