The Ombudsman Act says that the SPSO can only investigate a complaint about maladministration or service failure that a member of the public says has caused them injustice or hardship.  The Act does not define 'injustice' or 'hardship' but they can include:

• hurt feelings, distress, worry, or inconvenience
• loss of right or amenity
• financial loss or unnecessary expense
• time and trouble in pursuing a justified complaint
   

The person making the complaint does not have to prove that they have suffered injustice or hardship before we can investigate a complaint.  That is one of the things we will reach a view on if we carry out an investigation.  Nor does the person making the complaint have to be the only person who might have experienced the injustice or hardship.