Five year legislative review
19. Withdrawal of complaints
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What is the current position? |
Currently a complaint can only be withdrawn where the Police Ombudsman receives notification in writing. If a complainant withdraws their complaint verbally and does not follow this up in writing, then the case is closed as ‘non-cooperation’. |
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What we propose |
We believe complainants should be allowed to withdraw complaints verbally, provided that it is formally recorded. |
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Why is it important? |
As a matter of convenience, and to assist those who may experience difficulties expressing themselves in writing, complainants should be able to withdraw complaints verbally. The current position also skews our closure statistics. |