ABSTRACT
Introduction As government offi cials and agencies exercise disparate and wide-ranging powers to provide services and discharge responsibilities, it is inevitable that the actions and decisions of state offi cials will come into confl ict with individuals. As a result, a number of different grievance mechanisms are available to individuals who feel aggrieved by the actions of the state. In brief, tribunals provide individuals with a legal form of redress which is an alternative to the strict formal court system. Inquiries are a grievance mechanism which permit individuals to challenge, for example, the decision of a local planning authority to refuse an application for planning permission. A further form of redress is the Ombudsman which investigates an injustice caused to an individual by maladministration (ie faulty administration) by the state. This chapter will provide a very general overview of all three grievance mechanisms against the state.
