Independance and confidentiality
The Ombudsman de Montréal enjoys a great deal of autonomy with regard to the organization of her office, her procedures and the handling of her files. Neither the municipal administration nor the elected officials can intervene on this score.
The Ombudsman’s files are confidential. Only the members of her team have access to the files of the Ombudsman de Montréal.
The Ombudsman and her team cannot be compelled to testify before any court of law nor to provide any information gathered during an investigation. Furthermore, the Ombudsman’s files are not subject to Right of Access legislation. Some relevant information, however, may be provided to municipal representatives in order to ensure that a file is adequately handled/investigated/resolved.