Complaints

Yes. If your complaint concerns a Government of Québec department or agency, you generally have one year to file a complaint.

For a complaint regarding the health and social services network, the Protecteur du citoyen acts as a second level of recourse. First you must contact the service quality and complaints commissioner of the institution concerned. Have you not heard back from the commissioner or are you dissatisfied with their answer? You have two years to contact us.

After these timeframes have elapsed, we can examine your complaint anyway if you can show that there were exceptional circumstances or it was impossible for you to act sooner (for example, an unforeseeable situation, a medical reason or hospitalization).

Yes. You can ask the Protecteur du citoyen for its help even if you are not a Canadian citizen or do not have permanent resident status.

For example, you can file a complaint if you want to immigrate to Québec, so long as your complaint concerns a public service of the Government of Québec, in other words, a department, an agency or a health and social services institution. 

Complaints to the Protecteur du citoyen are usually filed by the person who experienced the situation in question. Complaints can also be filed by a friend or family member (with the person’s consent if they are considered competent) about a failing or infringement of rights by a department or an agency of the Government of Québec. Complaints can also be about flaws within the health and social services network. In such a case, the Protecteur du citoyen acts as a second level of recourse, after the service quality and complaints commissioner.

Reports are made by someone who has witnessed shortcomings or injustice in public services. Do you feel that the rights of an individual or of a group of individuals have been breached by the health and social services network? You can report for the well-being of the persons concerned. Whatever the sector, we act directly on the front line.

The formalities for filing a complaint or report are very simple and cost-free. Contact us now.

As soon as we receive your complaint, we acknowledge receipt by phone or in writing (email, letter or fax) within two working days.

If your complaint is admissible (in other words, if we can intervene), we begin an investigation involving all the parties concerned. Whether or not your complaint is substantiated, we inform you of our conclusions, verbally or in writing.

Yes. Section 20 of the Public Protector Act specifies that anyone who applies to have the Protecteur du citoyen intervene must provide:

  • their name, address and phone number before stating the facts;
  • any other information or document considered necessary for a clear understanding of the facts. 

As for reports, unless you want feedback from us, you do not have to provide any personal information. 

No. To ensure personal information is protected and information is kept confidential, we do not handle complaints on our social medias.

Instead, contact us directly at 1-800-463-5070 or fill out our online complaint form. 

We only answer general questions on our social medias (e.g. requests for information about recourse or explanations before filing a complaint).

Your complaint will be handled confidentially and respectfully. Personal information is protected at all times and can be accessed only by the people authorized to do so in the performance of their duties. Only the information needed for handling your complaint is collected. 

What’s more, the complaint form available on our website is secure, so your personal information is protected.

The Protecteur du citoyen pledges to: 

  • Take your call within 1 minute. 
  • Within 2 days*, acknowledge receipt (verbally or in writing) or refer you to the right resource if your complaint is not under our jurisdiction. 
  • 10 days*: the average time for handling a complaint concerning the public services.  
  • 60 days*: the average time for handling a complaint concerning the health and social services network.  

* Working day: every day except Saturday and Sunday and Québec statutory holidays

No. As soon as we receive your complaint, we acknowledge receipt by phone or in writing (email, letter or fax) within two working days. Then if your complaint is admissible (in other words, if it is within our jurisdiction), we check the facts with all the parties concerned. However, whether or not your complaint is substantiated, we inform you of your conclusions, verbally or in writing. 

If you want to know how your file is progressing, call us at 1-800-463-5070, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.