Principles of good administration: what they mean for you

Principles of good administration: what they mean for you

Published January 07, 2026

When you deal with the public service and/or the public administration, you should receive a service you can trust. You should get clear and satisfactory information. You should get fair treatment. You should get a decision on time.

This is why the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman published a handy booklet entitled “The Principles of Good Administration” in June 2025.

The Office set practical standards for everyday services provided by the public authorities and that you routinely rely on in your daily lives. In simple terms, they are the services that make society function normally.

They also help you understand what you can expect from the public service and/or the public administration.

Good administration: not a favour

The starting point is simple. Good administration is not something you wish for but a right you enjoy when you deal with the administration of the affairs of Government : a licence, a pension, a benefit, a fine, a permit, a medical appointment, a residence document, a school service and many others.  When the handling of a process is unclear, delayed or worse tainted by bias or careless, then not only could there inconvenience but a breach of one`s rights.

The rule of law: the overriding principle

Everyone is bound by the law.  Authority has to be  exercised in accordance with clear, fair, and publicly known rules, not according to personal discretion or arbitrary decision-making : the public service and/or the public administration are no exception.  This is the baseline.

Where administrative matters are concerned, for the public service and/or the public administration to act strictly according to law is not enough.  They have to observe a higher standard basically fairness.  In fact if an act or omission in the administration of Government appears to be contrary to law, that act or omission can amount to maladministration.  A decision can be legally valid and still be wrong in its application according to the facts and circumstances of every case.  That is really why  fairness, impartiality, proportionality, consistency, and legal certainty are the criteria that matter for good administration as opposed to maladministration.

In practice, this includes:

• Adoption by public offices of clear criteria for their that receive application consistently.
• Avoidance by public offices of heavy handed measures when lighter measures would achieve the same lawful aim.
• Equal treatment of persons by public offices, regardless of  who those persons are or who they know.

The six core principles

There are six core principles that all should know where matters of administration are concerned:

Transparency – Decisions should be taken in accordance with established practice and clear procedures. Information should be clear to understand and accessible. Public bodies should explain their actions without having any plausible reason to hide anything.

Accountability – Public bodies should answer for their decisions and correct mistakes.

Integrity – Public bodies should act in the public interest. Conflicts of interest have to be ruled out.

Responsiveness – Public offices should listen, reply on time, and strive towards to achieve solutions.

Efficiency and effectiveness – Public services should use resources well and deliver results without avoidable delay.

Inclusiveness – Public services should be accessible to everyone and treat everyone fairly.

Why these principles matter

The public service and/or the public administration face new challenges. Demand rises. 

Systems become all the more digital. Artificial intelligence is swiftly becoming all the more part and parcel of decision making.

Artificial intelligence is no exception to the rule of law provided rules are established that ensure that who creates artificial intelligence and the tools that are devised are fully respectful of human rights and dignity.

What will follow

The informative articles that follow will go deeper into the issues that have been raised today.