Complaints procedure

If we fall short of the standard of service you expect as a member of the public from a government department, we hope that you will tell us so that we can try to put things right and to do better in the future.

We expect our staff to treat all those who use our service with dignity and respect, and we expect our staff to be afforded the same courtesy. Our staff will terminate any telephone call where the caller shouts or becomes abusive - this includes cultural, racial or religious references and offensive language. We will not respond to any correspondence which uses such language.

This procedure covers complaints about:

  • the standard of service we provide
  • the behaviour of our staff
  • any action or lack of action by staff affecting an individual or group

It does not cover:

  • matters that have already been fully investigated through this complaints procedure
  • anonymous complaints
  • complaints about access to information where procedures and remedies are set out in legislation, for example the Freedom of Information Act or General Data Protection Regulations, or complaints about a decision that has been made by the Law Officers

Complaints process

Given the current situation with Covid-19 we unfortunately cannot guarantee that hard copy post will be processed and responded to in a timely manner. Where possible, all correspondence should be sent via email. We apologise for this change in practice.

Stage 1

Wherever possible, please raise your complaint on the spot with the person who has dealt with you.

Stage 2

If this is not possible or if you remain dissatisfied, please email the Complaints Officer address given at the bottom of this page. It will help us deal with your complaint if you give as much background information as possible.

A Complaints Officer will acknowledge receipt of the complaint and ensure that your complaint is dealt with by an appropriate person within the Attorney General’s Office.

Wherever possible, we will investigate and strive to send you a full reply to any correspondence sent via email within 20 working days of receipt of your complaint. If this is not possible, we will explain why.

Stage 3

If you are dissatisfied with this response, you can write to the Director of the Attorney General’s Office. The Director will review your complaint and its handling and will write to you with the findings as soon as possible.

Given the current situation with Covid-19 we unfortunately cannot guarantee that hard copy post will be processed and responded to in a timely manner. To ensure Stage 3 complaints are received by the office in a timely manner, we encourage complainants to email Stage 3 complaints to correspondence@attorneygeneral.gov.uk, with the email marked as ‘FAO The Director of the AGO’. Your complaint will then be brought to the attention of the Director in the usual way.

Where to send your complaint

If you wish to make a complaint about the service you have received from the Attorney General’s Office, please write to:

email: complaints@attorneygeneral.gov.uk or

Complaints Officer
Attorney General's Office
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9EA

If you are not content with the way in which your complaint was handled, please write to:

email: correspondence@attorneygeneral.gov.uk with the email marked as ‘FAO The Director of the AGO’ or

Director
Attorney General's Office
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9EA

Please note that the Crown Prosecution Service the Serious Fraud Office the Treasury Solicitor’s Department and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate have their own separate complaints procedures.

For all other issues, please send an email to our Correspondence Unit at correspondence@attorneygeneral.gov.uk

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