Governance & Maladministration in the Public Sector

Public bodies must act within the scope of their individual powers – which are often more limited than is realised. What’s more, the public sector is now governed by rigorous ethical standards laid down by legislation and in rules and codes of practice.

Consequently, for public bodies, their members and employees, and also for those interacting with them, complex legal issues as to whether the public body, or its members and officers, are acting both lawfully and entirely properly, often arise.

Whether you are part of the public sector or having difficulty dealing with it, we can help you. Here are a few examples of how we help clients:

• issues of lawfulness and the scope of powers or vires as it is called
• claims of misfeasance, negligence or breach of statutory duty
• issues in relation to confidentiality, disclosure and freedom of information
• actions by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and in relation to the Registers of MPs and Lords interests
• the role of the Audit Commission, parliamentary investigations, commissions and other inquiries
• applications to the EU, parliamentary and local government ombudsmen