Legal Definitions - complainant

A complainant is the individual or entity who formally initiates a legal or administrative process by making an accusation or filing a complaint. This party alleges that a wrong has been committed against them and seeks a resolution through the legal system or a regulatory body.

Here are some examples to illustrate the role of a complainant:

• Example 1: Criminal Context

  Imagine a homeowner, Ms. Chen, discovers her house has been burglarized. She immediately calls the police to report the break-in and stolen items. In this scenario, Ms. Chen is the complainant because she is the person alleging that a criminal act (burglary) was committed against her, thereby initiating the police investigation and potential criminal proceedings.

• Example 2: Civil Context

  Consider a small software development company, "Tech Solutions Inc.," which completed a major project for a client but was never paid for their services. Tech Solutions Inc. decides to sue the client to recover the outstanding payment. When they file the lawsuit in court, Tech Solutions Inc. becomes the complainant, as they are the entity formally filing the civil complaint to seek a legal remedy for the alleged breach of contract.

• Example 3: Administrative Context

  Suppose an individual, Mr. Davies, believes he was unfairly denied a promotion at his job due to his age, which is a protected characteristic. He files a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a government agency that investigates workplace discrimination. Mr. Davies is the complainant because he is the person formally initiating an administrative proceeding by making an accusation of discrimination to a regulatory body.