Ombudsman

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Sign in Banjul, capital of The Gambia, giving directions to the ombudsman's office

An ombudsman (/ˈɒmbʊdzmən/, also US: /-bədz-, -bʌdz-/,[1][2][3] Swedish: [ˈɔ̂mːbʉːdsˌman]), o
mbudsperson, ombud, ombuds, or public advocate is an official who is charged with
representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of
maladministration or a violation of rights. The ombudsman is usually appointed by the
government or by parliament but with a significant degree of independence. In some
countries, an inspector general, citizen advocate or other official may have duties similar
to those of a national ombudsman and may also be appointed by a legislature. Below
the national level, an ombudsman may be appointed by a state, local, or municipal
government. Unofficial ombudsmen may be appointed by, or even work for, a
corporation such as a utility supplier, newspaper, NGO, or professional regulatory body.
The typical duties of an ombudsman are to investigate complaints and attempt to
resolve them, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation.
Ombudsmen sometimes also aim to identify systemic issues leading to poor service or
breaches of people's rights. At the national level, most ombudsmen have a wide
mandate to deal with the entire public sector, and sometimes also elements of the
private sector (for example, contracted service providers). In some cases, there is a
more restricted mandate, for example with particular sectors of society. More recent
developments have included the creation of specialized Children's
Ombudsman and Information Commissioner agencies.
In some jurisdictions an ombudsman charged with handling concerns about national
government is more formally referred to as the "Parliamentary Commissioner" (e.g. the
United Kingdom Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, and the Western
Australian state Ombudsman). In many countries where the ombudsman's responsibility
includes protecting human rights, the ombudsman is recognized as the national human
rights institution. The post of ombudsman had by the end of the 20th century been
instituted by most governments and by some intergovernmental organizations such as
the European Union.
Contents

 1Origins and etymology

 2In politics
 3In organisations
 4Ombudsman services by country
o 4.1Albania
o 4.2Andorra
o 4.3Argentina
o 4.4Armenia
o 4.5Australia
o 4.6Austria
o 4.7Azerbaijan
o 4.8Barbados
o 4.9Bahrain
o 4.10Belgium
o 4.11Bermuda
o 4.12Bosnia and Herzegovina
o 4.13Brazil
o 4.14Bulgaria
o 4.15Canada
 4.15.1Provincial and Territorial
ombudsmen
o 4.16Chile
o 4.17Colombia
o 4.18Costa Rica
o 4.19Cyprus
o 4.20Czech Republic
o 4.21Denmark
o 4.22Ecuador
o 4.23El Salvador
o 4.24Estonia
o 4.25European Union
o 4.26Finland
o 4.27France
o 4.28Georgia
o 4.29Germany
o 4.30Gibraltar
o 4.31Greece
o 4.32Hong Kong
o 4.33Hungary
o 4.34Iceland
o 4.35India
 4.35.1Lokpal
 4.35.2Lokayukta
 4.35.3Non-banking financial companies
 4.35.4Anti-corruption movements
o 4.36Indonesia
o 4.37Iran
o 4.38Ireland
o 4.39Israel
o 4.40Italy
o 4.41Jamaica
o 4.42Kazakhstan
o 4.43Kenya
o 4.44Kosovo
o 4.45Kyrgyz Republic
o 4.46Latvia
o 4.47Lithuania
o 4.48Malta
o 4.49Mexico
o 4.50Nepal
o 4.51Netherlands
o 4.52New Zealand
o 4.53North Macedonia
o 4.54Norway
o 4.55Panama
o 4.56Pakistan
o 4.57Peru
o 4.58Philippines
o 4.59Poland
o 4.60Portugal
o 4.61Romania
o 4.62Russia
o 4.63Serbia
o 4.64Slovakia
o 4.65Slovenia
o 4.66South Africa
o 4.67Spain
 4.67.1Ombudsmen in the autonomous
communities
 4.67.2Former ombudsmen in the
autonomous communities
o 4.68Sweden
o 4.69Taiwan
o 4.70Tajikistan
o 4.71Thailand
o 4.72Turkey
o 4.73Ukraine
o 4.74United Kingdom
 4.74.1Other ombudsman services in the
United Kingdom
 4.74.2Former ombudsman services in
the United Kingdom
o 4.75United States
o 4.76Uruguay
o 4.77Uzbekistan
 5In fiction
 6See also
 7References
 8External links
o 8.1International and regional ombudsman
associations
o 8.2Ombudsman directories

Origins and etymology[edit]

A prototype of an ombudsman may have flourished in China during the Qin
Dynasty (221 BC), and in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty.[4] The position of secret
royal inspector, or amhaeng-eosa (암행어사, 暗行御史) was unique to the Joseon
Dynasty, where an undercover official directly appointed by the king was sent to local
provinces to monitor government officials and look after the populace while travelling
incognito. The Roman Tribune had some similar roles, with power to veto acts that
infringed upon the Plebeians. Another precursor to the ombudsman was the Diwan-al-
Mazalim which appears to go back to the second caliph, Umar (634–644), and the
concept of Qadi al-Qudat.[5] They were also attested in Siam, India, the Liao
dynasty (Khitan Empire), Japan, and China.[6]
An indigenous Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish term, ombudsmand is etymologically
rooted in the Old Norse word umboðsmaðr, essentially meaning "representative" (with
the word umbud/ombud meaning "proxy", "attorney", that is someone who is authorized
to act for someone else, a meaning it still has in the Scandinavian languages). In the
Danish Law of Jutland from 1241, the term is umbozman and concretely means a royal
civil servant in a hundred. From 1552, it is also used in the other Nordic languages such
as the both Icelandic and Faroese umboðsmaður,
the Norwegian ombudsmann/ombodsmann, and the Swedish ombudsman. The general
meaning was and is approximately "a man representing (someone)" (i.e., a
representative) or "a man with a commission (from someone)" (a commissioner). The
Swedish-speaking minority in Finland uses the Swedish terminology. The various forms
of the suffix -mand, -maður, et cetera, are just the forms the common Germanic word
represented by the English word man have in the various languages. Thus, the modern
plural form ombudsmen of the English borrowed word ombudsman is etymologically
reasonable; but so was Emily O'Reilly's mild protest when she first was elected as the
Ombudsman of Ireland:
"I will be an ombudswoman but will have no difficulty in
being referred to as either."[7]
Use of the term in its modern use began in Norway, and
was followed by Sweden with the Swedish Parliamentary
Ombudsman instituted by the Instrument of Government of
1809, to safeguard the rights of citizens by establishing a
supervisory agency independent of the executive branch.
The predecessor of the Swedish Parliamentary
Ombudsman was the Office of Supreme Ombudsman
(Högste Ombudsmannen), which was established by the
Swedish King, Charles XII, in 1713. Charles XII was in exile
in Turkey and needed a representative in Sweden to
ensure that judges and civil servants acted in accordance
with the laws and with their duties. If they did not do so, the
Supreme Ombudsman had the right to prosecute them for
negligence. In 1719 the Swedish Office of Supreme
Ombudsman became the Chancellor of Justice.
[8]
 The Parliamentary Ombudsman was established in 1809
by the Swedish Riksdag, as a parallel institution to the still-
present Chancellor of Justice, reflecting the concept
of separation of powers as developed by Montesquieu.[8]
The Parliamentary Ombudsman is the institution that the
Scandinavian countries subsequently developed into its
contemporary form, and which subsequently has been
adopted in many other parts of the world. The word
ombudsman and its specific meaning have since been
adopted in various languages, such as Dutch. The German
language
uses Ombudsmann, Ombudsfrau and Ombudsleute.
Notable exceptions are French, Italian and Finnish, which
use translations instead. Modern variations of this term
include ombud, ombuds, ombudsperson,
or ombudswoman, and the conventional English plural
is ombudsmen. In Nigeria, the ombudsman is known as
the Public Complaints Commission or the ombudsman.[9]

In politics[edit]
In general, an ombudsman is a state official appointed to
provide a check on government activity in the interests of
the citizen and to oversee the investigation of complaints of
improper government activity against the citizen. If the
ombudsman finds a complaint to be substantiated, the
problem may get rectified, or an ombudsman report is
published making recommendations for change. Further
redress depends on the laws of the country concerned, but
this typically involves financial compensation. Ombudsmen
in most countries do not have the power to initiate legal
proceedings or prosecution on the grounds of a complaint.
This role is sometimes referred to as a "tribunician" role,
and has been traditionally fulfilled by elected
representatives – the term refers to the ancient Roman
"tribunes of the plebeians" (tribuni plebis), whose role was
to intercede in the political process on behalf of common
citizens.
The major advantage of an ombudsman is that he or she
examines complaints from outside the offending state
institution, thus avoiding the conflicts of interest inherent in
self-policing. However, the ombudsman system relies
heavily on the selection of an appropriate individual for the
office, and on the cooperation of at least some effective
official from within the apparatus of the state. The institution
has also been criticized: "Ombudsmen are relics of
absolutism, designed to iron out the worst excesses of
administrative arbitrariness while keeping the power
structures intact."[10]

In organisations[edit]
Main article: Organizational ombudsman
Many private companies, universities, non-profit
organisations and government agencies also have an
ombudsman (or an ombuds office) to serve internal
employees, and managers and/or other constituencies.
These ombudsman roles are structured to function
independently, by reporting to the CEO or board of
directors, and according to International Ombudsman
Association (IOA) Standards of Practice they do not have
any other role in the organisation. Organisational
ombudsmen often receive more complaints than alternative
procedures such as anonymous hot-lines.[11]
Since the 1960s, the profession has grown in the United
States, and Canada, particularly in corporations,
universities and government agencies. The organizational
ombudsman works as a designated neutral party, one who
is high-ranking in an organization, but who is not part of
executive management. Using an alternative dispute
resolution (ADR) or appropriate dispute resolution
approach, an organisational ombudsman can provide
options to whistleblowers or employees and managers
with ethical concerns; provide coaching, shuttle diplomacy,
generic solutions (meaning a solution which protects the
identity of one individual by applying to a class of people,
rather than just for the one individual) and mediation for
conflicts; track problem areas; and make recommendations
for changes to policies or procedures in support of orderly
systems change.
Ombudsman services by country[edit]
Albania[edit]
Main article: Avokati i Popullit
The People's Advocate (Ombudsman) of the Republic of
Albania (Albanian: Avokati i Popullit) was envisaged in
Chapter VI of the Albanian Constitution approved in
November 1998 (articles 60–63 and 134). Article 60 states
that "The People’s Advocate defends the rights, freedoms
and lawful interests of individuals from unlawful or improper
actions or failures to act of the organs of public
administration."[12] The Parliament passed the Law on the
People’s Advocate, Law No. 8454, in February 1999. The
People’s Advocate is elected by three-fifths of all members
of the Assembly for a five-year period, with the right of re-
election. The Law has since been amended by Law No.
8600, of 10 April 2000, and Law No. 9398, of 12 May 2005.
The current Ombudsman is Erinda Ballanca, elected on 22
May 2017,[13] succeeding Igli Totozani, elected on 23
December 2011,[14] and Dr Emir Dobjani who had served
since February 2000.[15]
Andorra[edit]
In the Principality of Andorra, the ombudsman is
called Raonador del Ciutadà.[16][17]
Argentina[edit]
The Defensor del Pueblo de la Nación
Argentina [es] (The People's Defender of The Nation
of Argentina), established in Article 86 of the Constitution,
is an independent body related to the Argentine National
Congress with functional autonomy, as it does not receive
instructions from any authority and enjoys same immunities
and privileges as a legislator.
The principal functions are, first, the defense of human
rights and other rights, guarantees and interests protected
by the Constitution, to acts or omissions of public
administration, and secondly, the control of public
administrative functions. By law, the Defender should be
elected by the vote of 2/3 of the members present in each
branch of Congress for a period of five years and may be
reappointed.[18]
However, no replacement was elected to fill the position,
when the period of office ran out for the last person actually
holding the office, Eduardo René Mondino, in 2008. Thus,
the position has been vacant since 2009.[19]
Armenia[edit]
Main article: Human Rights Defender of Armenia
The office of Human Rights Defender, or Ombudsman,
of Armenia was created by law in October 2003. The
official website describes the goal of the office as the
protection and restoration of human rights and fundamental
freedoms. It receives complaints against state and local
officials. In February 2004 Larisa Alaverdyan was
appointed to the office by presidential decree. The second
ombudsman was Armen Harutyunyan, who was elected by
the National Assembly under article 83.1 of the Constitution
on 17 February 2006, obtaining more than 3/5 votes of
deputies, for what was intended to be a six-year term
commencing on 20 February. The 2003 law governing the
office was amended later in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Karen
Andreasyan was the third human rights defender
in Armenia. On 2 March 2011, the National Assembly
of Armenia elected the new Armenian Ombudsman, with
83 parliamentarians voting for and 13 against. Karen
Andreasyan assumed his responsibilities as Human Rights
Defender of Armenia as of 3 March 2011.
The current Human Rights Defender, Arman Tatoyan, was
elected by the National Assembly in February 2016, and
became the fourth ombudsman of Armenia. Arman Tatoyan
was the former deputy Minister of Justice. [20]
Australia[edit]
Main article: Ombudsmen in Australia
The Commonwealth Ombudsman in Australia was
established in 1976. The Ombudsman can investigate
complaints about the actions and decisions of Australian
Government departments and agencies, the services
delivered by most private contractors for the Australian
Government, and oversee complaint investigations
conducted by the Australian Federal Police.[21]
There are also ombudsman agencies in each state, a
number of industry based ombudsmen, children's
commissioners and many other complaint-handling and
review agencies, as detailed in the main article.
Austria[edit]
The three-member Ombudsman
Board (German: Volksanwaltschaft, literally People's
Representative) was created in 1977 as an independent
authority monitoring Austria’s entire public administration. It
checks the legality of decisions by authorities and
examines possible cases of maladministration. The
members are appointed by parliament for six-year terms.[22]
There are also children's ombudsman offices.
Azerbaijan[edit]
The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of
the Republic of Azerbaijan is also the country's national
human rights institution, accredited with A status by
the International Co-ordinating Committee of NHRIs. The
first ombudsman, Elmira Süleymanova, was elected by the
Parliament on 2 July 2002, and was reappointed in 2010
for a second term. Suleymanova (born 1937), formerly a
professor of chemistry, had been active in the women’s
movement in Azerbaijan.[23] In 2022, she will be 20 years in
her office. According to many international organizations
and publications, Azerbaijan is one of the worst countries
for journalists and human rights defenders in the world.
Ombudsman usually criticize independent media and
human rights defenders and praise government.
Barbados[edit]
Under the Ombudsman Act 1980, the Ombudsman of
Barbados[24] is appointed by the Governor-General with the
approval of both houses of the legislature. The current
Ombudsman of Barbados is Valton Bend, a
former Magistrate.
Bahrain[edit]
The Bahraini Ombudsman (Arabic: ‫ ) األمانة العامة للتظلمات‬is an
independent secretariat, financially and administratively, in
the Ministry of Interior Bahrain established to ensure
compliance with professional standards of policing set forth
in the Code of Conduct for the Police, as well as in the
administrative regulations governing the performance of
civil servants. It operates within a general framework that
includes respect for human rights and the consolidation of
justice, the rule of law and the public confidence, in line
with Recommendation 1717 and Recommendation 1722
Paragraph (d) in the report by the Bahrain Independent
Commission of Inquiry (BICI). The Ombudsman assumes
its authority and mission in full independence with respect
to the complaints it receives against any civilian or public
security personnel in the Ministry of Interior Bahrain for
alleged criminal offense because of, during or as result of
their scope of responsibilities. In addition, the Ombudsman
informs the competent authority in the Ministry of Interior to
take disciplinary action against violators employed by the
ministry. It also informs the public prosecutor in the cases
that constitute criminal offenses. It updates both the
complainant and the defendant about the steps taken to
investigate the complaints and the conclusions of the
investigations.
Belgium[edit]
Belgium has one federal and four regional statutory
ombudsman agencies, all covering the normal range of
complaint-handling, investigation and mediation within the
respective jurisdictions of their founding legislature.

 The office dealing with complaints against the

federal authorities is the Federal
Ombudsman (Dutch: de federale
Ombudsman, French: le Médiateur
fédéral, German: der föderale Ombudsmann).
The office was established in 1997.[25]
 The Vlaamse Ombudsdienst (Vlaamse
Ombudsdienst) was established by the Flemish
Parliament by decree of 7 July 1998
(the Ombudsdecreet).[26]
 The Walloon Ombudsman (Médiateur de la
Région Wallonne), established by decree of
the Walloon Parliament of 22 December 1994,
seeks to help any person, natural or legal, who is
experiencing difficulties with the Walloon regional
authorities to arrive at a solution without
litigation.[27]
 The French Community
Ombudsman (Médiateur de la Communauté
française), created by the Parliament of the
French Community by decree of 20 June 2002,
is responsible for handling complaints of citizens
who encounter a problem with any administrative
unit of the French Community. Its mission is to
promote dialogue between the citizen and the
administration concerned.[28]
 In the smallest linguistic region,
the Ombudsman of the German-Speaking
Community (Ombudsmann der
Deutchsprachigen Gemeinschaft) was created
by decree of 26 May 2009. This requires the
Ombudsman to mediate between citizens and
administrative authorities and seek alternative
way to resolve conflicts, to settle disputes and, in
some cases, to avoid litigation. In its plenary
session of 17 May 2010, the Parliament of the
German-speaking Community appointed Cedric
Langer for a term of six years as the first
Ombudsman.[29]
Belgium also has separate children's commissioners for the
French and Flemish communities. There is a Pensions
Ombudsman service (Ombudsdienst Pensioenen, Service
de médiation Pensions, Ombudsmann für Pensionen) at
the federal level.[30]
Bermuda[edit]
The Office of the Ombudsman for Bermuda[31] was
established by the Bermuda Constitution and is governed
by the Ombudsman Act 2004.[32] The first National
Ombudsman for Bermuda, Arlene Brock, was appointed on
1 August 2005 by the Governor after consultation with the
Premier who first consulted with the Opposition Leader.
The Ombudsman investigates complaints about the
administrative actions of Public Authorities, including
Government Departments, Boards and Bodies established
or funded by the Legislature.
Bosnia and Herzegovina[edit]
The Institution of Human Rights
Ombudsman/Ombudsmen of Bosnia and Herzegovina is
also the country's UN-accredited national human rights
institution.[33] It was created by law in 2004.[34]
While the ombudsman's Child Rights Section is a member
of the Children's Ombudsman network, there is a separate
children's ombudsman in Republika Srpska.
Brazil[edit]
In Brazil the nearest equivalent to the office of ombudsman
is the Procuradoria Federal dos Direitos do Cidadão,[35]
[36]
 part of Public Ministry of Brazil, which is independent.
Government agencies have Hearing
Officer (Portuguese: Ouvidor), usually heading a service
called Ouvidoria, and each government agency defines its
own service. These Hearing Officer usually lack full
independence. Examples of public service ombudsmen are
the Ouvidoria da Polícia do Estado de São Paulo — São
Paulo State Police Ombudsman[37] — and the Ouvidoria da
Secretaria de Defesa Social do Estado do Rio Grande do
Norte — Ombudsman of the Social Security Ministry of the
State of Rio Grande do Norte.[38]
Bulgaria[edit]
The Ombudsman of the Republic of
Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Омбудсман на Република България)
is the national human rights institution, in addition to the
normal range of functions in relation to maladministration.
[39]
 The institution was created as the 'Citizen's Defender'
(Граждански защитник) in 1998 but the first Ombudsman
was elected in April 2005. Since 3 September 2019 the
office has been held by Diana Kovacheva.[40] There are also
regional ombudsmen (Citizen's Mediators, Граждански
посредници) in most parts of the country.
Canada[edit]
In Canada, ombudsman offices are present in most
departments of the federal government, in many provincial
and municipal governments as well as in Crown
Corporations such as CBC and Canada Post. There is an
Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and
the Canadian Forces,[41] an Office of the Procurement
Ombudsman,[42] an Office for the Ombudsman for the
Victims of Crimes,[43] an Office of the Taxpayers
Ombudsman[44] and an Office of the Veterans Ombudsman.
[45]

There are also several independent ombuds offices in

Canada, including the Ombudsman for Banking Services
and Investments and various child advocate offices.
Provincial and Territorial ombudsmen[edit]
While Canada has no single national legislative
ombudsman, nine Canadian provinces and one territory
have parliamentary ombudsmen (sometimes called
"citizens' protector" or "citizens' representative") in the
classical/legislative tradition, who oversee the provincial
government and receive and investigate public complaints.
They are:

 Alberta Ombudsman, established 1967;[46]

 Office of the Ombudsperson, British Columbia;
[47]

 Ombudsman Manitoba, established 1970;[48]

 New Brunswick Ombudsman's Office,
established 1967;[49]
 Citizens' Representative of Newfoundland and
Labrador;[50]
 Nova Scotia Office of the Ombudsman,
established 1970;[51]
 Ontario Ombudsman, established 1975
 Ontario Patient Ombudsman, established 2015
 Quebec Ombudsman (French: Le Protecteur du
citoyen), established 1968;[52]
 Ombudsman Saskatchewan, established 1972;
[53]
 and
 Office of the Yukon Ombudsman and
Information & Privacy Commissioner.[54]
Chile[edit]
Chile remains in 2012 the only country in South
America without a national ombudsman office, although
one was envisaged in a constitutional reform proposed in
the Senate by the President in 2000. [55][56] Indeed, Chile is not
listed as having an ombudsman on the website of the
Ibero-American Federation of Ombudsmen.[57] There exists,
however, a 'Capítulo Chileno del Ombudsman', or 'Chilean
Ombudsman Chapter', an organisation lobbying for the
introduction of a national ombudsman.[55][58]
Some other public bodies, such as the National Institute
of Human Rights (Instituto Nacional de Derechos
Humanos) or the Transparency Council (Consejo para la
Transparencia), have quasi-ombudsman functions, in that
their statutes allow them to appeal to the legislature and
judiciary for protection and development of fundamental
rights. However, unlike many other ombudsman agencies,
they do not have constitutional status, but were created by
ordinary statutes.[59][60]
Colombia[edit]
Main article: Ombudsman's Office of Colombia
The People's Defender (Spanish: Defensoría del Pueblo)
or Ombudsman's Office of Colombia is the national agency
in charge of overseeing the protection of civil and human
rights within the legal framework of the state of Colombia.
Costa Rica[edit]
The ombudsman office in Costa Rica, which is also the
national human rights institution, is unique in bearing the
name Defender of the Inhabitants (Spanish: Defensoría
de los Habitantes). In 1993 it absorbed a former children's
ombudsman office.
Cyprus[edit]
The Commissioner for Administration (Greek: Γραφείο
Επιτρόπου Διοικήσεως), usually referred to as the
Ombudsman, is an Independent Authority in Cyprus and
was established on 15 March 1991. The office is currently
held by Maria Stylianou-Lottides.[61]
There is also a Commissioner for Children’s Rights.
Czech Republic[edit]
The Public Defender of Rights (Czech: Veřejný ochránce
práv) of the Czech Republic is more frequently referred to
simply as ombudsman. The office was established in 1999.
It has the traditional ombudsman role of mediating between
complainants and officials in public bodies, but has no
direct means or mechanisms of enforcement. Should the
relevant body fail to provide a remedy, the ombudsman
may refer the matter to the government. Following the
death in office of the first ever Czech ombudsman, Otakar
Motejl, in May 2010, former Constitutional Court judge
Pavel Varvařovský was elected to the office by the lower
house of parliament in September 2010.[62][63] After his
resignation in December 2013, Anna Šabatová, a deputy-
ombudswoman from 2001 to 2007, was elected and sworn
to the office in February 2014.
Denmark[edit]

 The Parliamentary
Ombudsman (Danish: Folketingets
Ombudsmand) was established in Denmark in
1955 to investigate complaints brought by an
individual or ex officio in all matters relating to
public governance, including maladministration
by central or local authorities, on a case-by-case
basis and on a general scale. The ombudsman's
main areas of expertise include administrative
law; constitutional law; the rights of inmates in
correction facilities; and access to information.
The ombudsman is appointed by the Parliament
of Denmark.
 The Consumer
Ombudsman (Forbrugerombudsmanden) was
established in 1974 to ensure that the consumer
protection and marketing rules are complied with
by private undertakings. The ombudsman can
ultimately institute legal proceedings before the
Copenhagen Maritime and Commercial Court.
 (The highest representative of the Danish
government in Greenland is called the Royal
Ombudsman (Rigsombudsmanden) since 1979.
However, here the word is used more in its older
general meaning of commissioner.)
 In February 2011 the Danish government turned
down a request from a United Nations committee
to create the position of Ombudsman for
Children (Børneombudsmand).[64] The
government instead opted to create a specialized
"children's office" (Børnekontor) as a part of the
existing Ombudsman institution.[65][66]
Ecuador[edit]
In Ecuador, the officer known as People's
Defender (Spanish: Defensor del Pueblo) performs the
functions of an ombudsman.
El Salvador[edit]
The country of El Salvador has a Human Rights
Procurator, also referred to as ombudsman
(Spanish: Procurador para la Defensa de los Derechos
Humanos).
Estonia[edit]
The Chancellor of Justice (Estonian: Õiguskantsler)
of Estonia is an independent supervisor of the basic
principles of the Constitution of Estonia and the protector of
individual rights. The function of ombudsman was entrusted
to the Chancellor of Justice in 1999. The Chancellor of
Justice monitors whether state agencies comply with
people’s fundamental rights and freedoms and with the
principles of good governance. In 2004 the ombudsman
functions expanded to cover local governments, legal
persons in public law and private persons who exercise
public functions.
European Union[edit]
The European Ombudsman was established by
the Maastricht Treaty, the treaty establishing the European
Union.[67] The current European Ombudsman, holding office
since 1 October 2013, is Emily O'Reilly, former national
ombudsman of Ireland. The European Union Ombudsman
investigates claims by individuals or companies which
reside or have their interests within the European Union
against incidents of bad administration by bodies or
institutions of the European Union.[68]
Finland[edit]
In Finland the office of Parliamentary
Ombudsman (Finnish: Eduskunnan
oikeusasiamies, Swedish: Riksdagens
justitieombudsmannen), modelled after the Swedish
Ombudsman, was established by the Constitution of 1919.
The Ombudsman is appointed by Parliament, and has the
task of ensuring that all government departments and
officials follow the law. The Parliamentary Ombudsman
shares many duties with the Chancellor of Justice. The
Ombudsman has wide-ranging oversight and investigative
powers, has access to all government facilities, documents
and information systems and can order a police
investigation if necessary. If the Ombudsman determines
that a government official has not acted in accordance with
the law she or he can advise on the proper application of
the law, reprimand the official or in extreme cases order a
criminal prosecution. Partly because of the prosecutorial
powers, the office enjoys considerable respect and the
Ombudsman's legal opinions are usually strictly followed,
carrying a lot of weight in the absence of a court precedent.
[69]

There are also special ombudsmen for gender equality

(Tasa-arvovaltuutettu/Jämställdhetsombudsmannen), childr
en's welfare (Lapsiasiavaltuutettu/Barnombudsmannen),
protection against discrimination
(Yhdenvertaisuusvaltuutettu/Diskrimineringsombudsmanne
n), data protection, and consumer protection, operating
under the auspices of various ministries and other
government agencies. Every health care provider in
Finland is legally obliged to have a patients' rights
ombudsman.[70]
France[edit]
In 1973, the French Government created an office of
Ombudsman (French: Médiateur de la République). A
reform in May 2011 merged that office with the Children's
Ombudsman (Défenseur des enfants), the equality
authority (Haute autorité de lutte contre les discriminations
et pour l’égalité, HALDE) and the body supervising the
conduct of police and other security agencies,
the Commission nationale de déontologie de la
sécurité (CNDS), creating a new body named
the Defender of Rights (Défenseur des droits). In July
2011 Dominique Baudis was appointed to the office by the
Council of State on the nomination of the Prime Minister,
for a single six-year term but died in April 2014. In June
2014, former minister Jacques Toubon was chosen for the
following six years. Since 22 July 2020, the role has been
held by former journalist and anti-poverty
campaigner Claire Hédon.[71]
Georgia[edit]
Main article: Public Defender of Georgia
The Public Defender (Ombudsman)
of Georgia (Georgian: სახალხო დამცველი) is a national
human rights institution. The office was established
by Parliament in 1997. The Public Defender is elected for a
six-year term by a parliamentary majority, and must follow
the Constitution and the law, as well as the universally
recognized principles and rules of international law, and
international treaties and agreements concluded by
Georgia. The Public Defender supervises the protection of
human rights and fundamental freedoms, investigates
violation of human rights and assists in securing redress.
The office supervises the activities of national or local
public authorities, public officials and legal persons,
evaluates all acts passed by them and gives
recommendations and proposals. The office also
conducts human rights education.[72]
Germany[edit]
The nearest equivalent to a federal ombudsman service
in Germany is the Parliamentary Petitions
Committee (German: Petitionsausschuss Deutscher
Bundestag), which receives and investigates complaints of
maladministration.[73] There are a number of sectoral
ombudsmen, including the Parliamentary Military-
Ombudsman (Wehrbeauftragter des Deutschen
Bundestages) and the Ombudsman Institution for Public
Transport (Schlichtungsstelle für den öffentlichen
Personenverkehr e.V., SÖP).[74]
Gibraltar[edit]
The Gibraltar Public Services Ombudsman is an
independent authority whose functions are to investigate
complaints received from the general public about acts of
maladministration by the Government of Gibraltar and
certain public bodies and contractors. The Office of the
Ombudsman came into being in April 1999 with the
appointment of Henry Pinna as Gibraltar's first Public
Services Ombudsman.[75]
Greece[edit]
The Citizen's Advocate (Ombudsman)
of Greece (Greek: Συνήγορος του Πολίτη) was created in
1998 as an Independent Authority. Following the
resignation of Professor Georgios Kaminis in September
2010, the duties of the Citizen's Advocate passed to
Deputy Ombudsman Kalliopi Spanou. The Advocate is
assisted by six Assistant Advocates, who coordinate the
activities of the Advocate's office in the six thematic areas
in which the office has authority: i) civil rights, ii) social
protection, iii) quality of life, iv) state-citizen relationships,
v) children's rights, and vi) gender equality.[76]
Hong Kong[edit]
The Office of The Ombudsman, known as the
Commission for Administrative Complaints until 1994, is an
independent statutory authority, established in 1989 under
the Commissioner for Administrative Complaints Ordinance
1988, to redress grievances arising from maladministration
in the public sector through independent and impartial
investigations to improve the standard of public
administration.
Hungary[edit]
After 1989, the end of the communist era multiple
Parliamentary Commissioner (Hungarian: Országgyűlési
biztos), or ombudsman, posts were created:

 Commissioner for Civil Rights (Állampolgári

jogok biztosa)
 Privacy Commissioner (Adatvédelmi biztos)
 Commissioner for Minority Rights (Kisebbségi
jogok biztosa)
 Ombudsman for Future Generations (A jövő
nemzedékek ombudsmanja, from 2008)
As of 1 January 2012, the four ombudsmen merged into
one office of Commissioner for Fundamental
Rights (Alapvető jogok biztosa).
Iceland[edit]
The post of Althing
Ombudsman (Icelandic: Umboðsmaður Alþingis) was set
up in 1987 under the terms of law number 13/1987, which
deals with complaints against the government. The
ombudsman's authority was expanded to local government
levels in the 1997 law number 85/1997. The ombudsman is
appointed for a four-year term by the parliament
(Althing or Alþingi). The Ombudsman aims to safeguard the
rights of the citizens vis-à-vis the State and local
authorities, and to promote equality and good
administrative practice.[77]
India[edit]
The Government of India has designated several
ombudsmen (sometimes called Chief Vigilance
Officer (CVO)) for the redress of grievances and complaints
from individuals in the banking, insurance and other sectors
being serviced by both private and public bodies and
corporations.[78] The CVC (Central Vigilance Commission)
was set up on the recommendation of the Santhanam
Committee (1962–64).
Lokpal[edit]
Main article: Lokpal
In India, the Ombudsman is known as
the Lokpal or Lokayukta. An Administrative Reforms
Commission (ARC) was set up on 5 January 1966 under
the Chairmanship of Shri Morarji Desai. It recommended a
two-tier machinery: Lokpal at the Centre (parliamentary
commissioner, as in New Zealand) and one Lokayukta
each at the State level for redress of people's grievances.
However, the jurisdiction of the Lokpal did not extend to the
judiciary (as in case of New Zealand). The central
Government introduced the first Lokpal Bill, Lokpal
and Lokayuktas Bill in 1968, and further legislation was
introduced in 2005. Final bill, after all the amendments, has
been passed in Rajya Sabha on 17 December 2013 and
passed in Loksabha on 18 December 2013.[79]
Lokayukta[edit]
Main article: Lokayukta
The state-level Lokayukta institution has developed
gradually. Orissa was the first state to present a bill on
establishment of Lokayukta in 1970, but Maharashtra was
the first to establish the institution, in 1972. Other states
followed: Bihar (1974), Uttar Pradesh (1977), Madhya
Pradesh (1981), Andhra Pradesh (1983), Himachal
Pradesh (1983), Karnataka (1984), Assam (1986), Gujarat
(1988), Delhi (1995), Punjab (1996), Kerala (1998),
Chhattishgarh (2002), Uttaranchal (2002), West Bengal
(2003) and Haryana (2004). The structure of the Lokayukta
is not uniform across all the states. Some states
have UpaLokayukta under the Lokayukta and in some
states, the Lokayukta does not have suo moto powers of
instigating an enquiry.
Kerala State has an Ombudsman for Local Self
Government institutions like Panchayats, Municipalities and
Corporations.[80] He can enquire/investigate into allegations
of action, inaction, corruption and maladministration. A
retired Judge of the High Court is appointed by the
Governor for a term of three years, under the Kerala
Panchayat Raj Act.
In the State of Rajasthan, the Lokayukta institution was
established in 1973 after the Rajasthan Lokayukta and Up-
Lokayuktas Act, 1973 was passed by the State Legislature.
Non-banking financial companies[edit]
The Reserve Bank of India launched an "Ombudsman
Scheme" for redress of complaints against non-banking
financial companies (NBFCs) free of charge.[81]
This scheme is applicable to only those NBFCs which:

 Have assets of more than ₹1,00,00,00,000;

AND/OR
 Accept deposits.
The complainant can file the complaint with the NBFC
Ombudsman under whose jurisdiction the branch or
registered office of the NBFC falls in the following cases:

 If the NBFC does not reply within a period of one

month after receipt of the complaint;
 If the complainant is not satisfied with the reply
given by the NBFC;

If the NBFC rejects, or does not acknowledge the
complaint.
Anti-corruption movements[edit]
See also: 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement and 2012
Indian anti-corruption movement
The 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement led by social
activist Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal includes in its
demands the creation of a stronger ombudsman agency
(with jurisdiction over all state institutions) through the
enactment of a Jan Lokpal Bill, as an alternative to the
Lokpal Bill proposed by the government in 2010.
Indonesia[edit]
The Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia previously
named the National Ombudsman Commission is a state
institution in Indonesia that has the authority to oversee the
implementation of public services both organized by state
officials and government, including those held by State-
Owned Enterprises, Regionally-Owned Enterprises, and
State-Owned Legal Entities private or individuals who are
given the task of carrying out certain public services which
part or all of their funds are sourced from the State
Revenue and Expenditure Budget or the Regional Revenue
and Expenditure Budget. This institution was formed based
on Law Number 37 of 2008 concerning the Ombudsman of
the Republic of Indonesia which was ratified at the DPR RI
Plenary Meeting on 9 September 2008. [82]

Wikisource has original
text related to this article:
Ombudsman Republik
Indonesia

Iran[edit]
The State Ombudsman of Iran is General Inspection Office.
This office was the one of Founding Members of AOA
(Asian Ombudsman Association) and hosted 4th and 13th
Annual conferences of AOA at 1999 and 2013.[83] In Iran an
organization called ‫ دیوان عدالت اداری‬or "The Administration
Justice Court" is set to investigate the complains of any
government employee/staff who has been discriminated.
Ireland[edit]
The Office of the Ombudsman was set up under the
terms of the Ombudsman Act 1980.[84] The Ombudsman is
appointed by the President of Ireland upon the nomination
of both Houses of the Oireachtas, and is a civil servant of
the State. The Ombudsman deals with complaints
against Departments of State, local authorities, the Health
Service Executive (Ireland), private and public nursing
homes and direct provision accommodation services. [85]
There are other ombudsmen established in Ireland. The
first Pensions Ombudsman, Paul Kenny, was appointed
in 2003. Emily Logan became Ireland’s first Ombudsman
for Children in March 2004. The Financial Services
Ombudsman incorporated the older offices of
the Insurance Ombudsman and Ombudsman for Credit
Institutions in 2005.[86] Also established in 2005 was
the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces,
the first holder being Paulyn Marrinan Quinn, formerly the
founding Insurance Ombudsman. An Act of 2005 created a
three-person tribunal, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman
Commission, to investigate complaints about the country's
police force. All these offices are statutory and their holders
are public servants.
A (non-statutory) Press Ombudsman began work in
January 2008 and legislation has been published to
establish a Legal Services Ombudsman. The
Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill of 2008 provided for the
statutory protection of the title of Ombudsman. This was
passed as the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012, which
increased the number of State agencies under the
Ombudsman's remit, and also designated the Ombudsman
as Director (Chief Executive) of the Office of the
Commission for Public Service Appointments.
Irish Ombudsmen to date have been Michael Mills from
1984 to 1994, Kevin Murphy from 1994 to 2003, Emily
O'Reilly from 2003 to 2013, and Peter Tyndall, who was
appointed in December 2013.[87][88]
Israel[edit]
The State Comptroller also serves, by law, as
Ombudsman. She or he discharges this function by way of
a special unit in the Office of the State Comptroller, known
as the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman
investigates complaints against bodies that are statutorily
subject to audit by the State Comptroller, including
government ministries, local authorities, state enterprises
and institutions and government companies, as well as
their employees.[89]
Italy[edit]
There is no generic national ombudsman office, but by Law
no. 112 of 12 July 2011, an Ombudsman for childhood and
adolescence was set up as an independent institute. Many
units of sub-national government
(regions, provinces and communes) have their own
ombudsman (Italian: difensore civico), who are elected by
regional, provincial or communal councils.
Jamaica[edit]
The Office of the Public Defender was created in 2000 by
the Public Defender Act 1999, replacing the Office of the
Parliamentary Ombudsman which had existed since 1978.
The Public Defender (currently Earl Witter) has the typical
ombudsman function of investigating and remedying
maladministration, with additional jurisdiction to investigate
alleged violations of constitutional rights.[90]
Kazakhstan[edit]
The Commissioner for Human Rights (Kazakh: Адам
құқықтары жөніндегі Уәкіл), or National Ombudsman of
the Republic of Kazakhstan, is Askar Shakirov, appointed
in 2007.[91] The office was created by presidential decree [92] in
2002 as a national human rights institution, with support
from the OSCE.[93]
Kenya[edit]
The Commission on Administrative Justice was established
by the Commission on Administrative Justice Act
2011(hereafter referred to as the Act) pursuant to Article 59
(4) of the Constitution of Kenya. CAJ is a Commission
within the meaning of chapter 15 of the constitution and
has the status and powers of a commission under that
chapter.[94]
Kosovo[edit]
The Ombudsperson Institution in Kosovo (OIK) accepts
and investigates complaints of human rights violations or
abuses of authority by any public authority in Kosovo. The
institution is currently led by Ombudsperson Sami Kurteshi,
a former opposition activist, political prisoner and human
rights activist, who was elected to the post by the Assembly
of Kosovo on 4 June 2009. In October 2011 the Assembly
elected five deputy Ombudspersons: Isa Hasani, Bogoljub
Staletovic [from the Serb community], Shqipe Malaj-Ibra,
Ibrahim Arslan (from the Turkish community) and Basri
Berisha.
The first Ombudsperson, Marek Antoni Nowicki, was
appointed in July 2000 by the then Special Representative
of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG), Bernard
Kouchner; Nowicki's appointment was renewed in 2002,
2004 and 2005 by subsequent SRSGs Michael
Steiner, Harri Holkeri and Søren Jessen-Petersen. With
effect from 1 January 2006 Jessen-Petersen appointed a
Kosovar lawyer, Hilmi Jashari, as Acting Ombudsperson
and he remained in post until Kurteshi took office.
The OIK has several offices throughout Kosovo, and
participates (although not yet accredited) in the global
network of national human rights institutions, as well as in
the European ombudsman network.[95]
Kyrgyz Republic[edit]
The Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz
Republic (Kyrgyz: Акыйкатчы - Akyikatchy) carry out
parliamentary control over the observance of the rights and
freedoms of man and citizen.[96]
Latvia[edit]
Since 2007, the Latvian ombudsman is a personalized
institution literally called Rights
Defender (Latvian: Tiesībsargs). Previously, similar
functions were carried by National Human Rights Office
(1995—2006).
Lithuania[edit]
In Lithuania, the nearest equivalent to the position of
ombudsman is that of Parliamentary
Controller (Lithuanian: Seimo kontrolierius), an office
appointed by the Seimas (Parliament of Lithuania).
There is also a children's ombudsman.
Malta[edit]
Since 1995, Malta has a Commissioner for Administrative
Investigations known as the Ombudsman. The Office of the
Ombudsman is a constitutional body established by the
Constitution of Malta and is regulated by the Ombudsman
Act. The Ombudsman may investigate, suo motu or on foot
of a complaint, the actions of State bodies or other public
entities. In Malta, the Ombudsman is also an Officer of
Parliament and is appointed by the House of
Representatives of Malta through a resolution supported by
votes of not less than two-thirds of all members of the
House. The Ombudsman may be assisted by other
Commissioners appointed for specialised areas in
accordance to the law. The recommendations issued by
the Maltese Office of the Ombudsman are not binding
legally but do have a persuasive value.
Mexico[edit]
National Human Rights Commission (Mexico)
On 13 February 1989 the Interior Ministry Secretariat of the
Interior created the "General Human Rights Department" as
a wholly dependent office within the ministry's structure. On
6 June 1990, by presidential decree, the General Human
Rights Department was renamed the "National Human
Rights Commission" and gained full autonomy from its
parent ministry.
It was not until 1990, after some constitutional reforms, that
the National Human Rights Commission became fully
independent of the government.
The current president (ombudsman) is Luis Raúl González
Pérez.[97]
Nepal[edit]
In the Nepalese context there are mainly two organizations
working as 'Ombudsman type' organization. The
Constitution of Nepal (2015) has continued the
establishment of the Commission for the Investigation of
Abuse of Authority[98] as a powerful body against corruption
prevention. Earlier, by the second amendment of the
Constitution of The Kingdom of Nepal in 1975 established
an Ombudsmen type Corruption Prevention Commission
with a wide role of corruption investigation, adjudication
and prosecution. Yet, another institution against corruption
vigilance National Vigilance Center (NVC) is
established[99] and NVC works under the direct supervision
of the Prime Minister.
Netherlands[edit]
Article 78 of the Constitution of the Netherlands, as revised
in 1983, established an office of National Ombudsman. The
Ombudsman may investigate, suo motu or on foot of a
complaint, the actions of State bodies or other public
entities. The ombudsman and deputy are appointed by the
House of Representatives for a fixed period or until
reaching retirement age. The office includes a children's
ombudsman.
New Zealand[edit]
Main article: Office of the Ombudsman (New Zealand)
The post of Ombudsman was established in New Zealand
in 1962, to investigate complaints against government
departments. In 1975 the post was expanded, with a Chief
Ombudsman and several other ombudsmen.[100] In 1983 his
responsibilities were extended to include investigation of
agencies that fail to provide information requested in
accordance with the Official Information Act. The
Ombudsman also has responsibility to protect
'whistleblowers' and investigate the administration of
prisons and other places of detention.
There is also a Children's Commissioner. New Zealand
also has three industry ombudsmen – the New Zealand
Banking Ombudsman, the Insurance and Savings
Ombudsman, and the Electricity and Gas Complaints
Commissioner who is an ombudsman in all but name.
North Macedonia[edit]
Since 1997 North Macedonia has an Ombudsman for
protection of citizens rights (Macedonian: Naroden
pravobranitel). The ombudsman is appointed by the
Parliament and performs her or his work under the
Constitution and the Law of the Ombudsman. [101]
Norway[edit]

 The Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination

Ombud (Norwegian: Likestillings- og
diskrimineringsombudet) was established in
1978 as the Gender Equality
Ombud (Likestillingsombudet), the first of its kind
in the world. In 2006, the Ombud was
reorganised to include discrimination in general.
The Ombud's task is to enforce the Norwegian
Gender Equality Act and the act relating to
prohibition of discrimination on the basis of
ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, skin colour,
language, religious and ethical orientation, and
sexual orientation (Discrimination Act). The
Ombud is also tasked with enforcing the anti-
discrimination regulations in the Working
Environment Act. The mandate of the Ombud
also includes to actively promote equality for
discriminated groups, and to develop new
knowledge through documentation and
monitoring.
 The Parliamentary Ombudsman for Public
Administration [no] (Sivilombudsmannen) investig
ates complaints from citizens or may take up
issues on its own initiative: complaints from
citizens concerning injustice or maladministration
from central government or local authorities.
 The Parliamentary Ombudsman for the
Norwegian Armed Forces (Ombudsmannen for
Forsvaret) shall safeguard the rights of all
members and former members of the Armed
Forces as well as contribute to an effective
military defence. Anyone who feels that they
have been wrongly, unjustly or unreasonably
treated can bring their case before the
Ombudsman and request an investigation of the
matter to determine whether an injustice has
been done, and to secure any appropriate
corrective action. Issues and circumstances
arising before, during or after military service can
be brought to the attention of the Ombudsman.
 The Ombudsman for
Children (Barneombudet) has statutory rights to
protect children and their rights. Since 1981, the
Ombudsman for Children in Norway has worked
continuously to improve national and
international legislation affecting children's
welfare. Norway was the first country in the world
to establish an ombudsman for children.
 There is also an ombudsman for consumer
affairs; see Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman.
 Local and regional authorities often have
ombudsmen. Examples of this are ombudsmen
for health and social affairs, ombudsmen for the
elderly and ombudsmen for school students and
apprentices at the upper secondary level.[102][103]
Panama[edit]
Pakistan[edit]
In Pakistan, the establishment of an ombudsman institution
had been advocated for some time before Article 276 of the
Interim Constitution of 1972 provided for the appointment of
a Federal Ombudsman (Urdu: Wafaqi Mohtasib) and
Provincial Ombudsmen. The Constitution of 1973 also
provided for a Federal Ombudsman, and the institution was
eventually created through the Establishment of the Office
of Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) Order, 1983
(President’s Order No. 1 of 1983), which is now a part of
the Constitution of Pakistan by virtue of Article 270-A. It
started functioning on 8 August 1983. The office of
Ombudsman is currently held by Salman Farooqi.[104] The
Ombudsman has headquarters in Islamabad and Regional
Offices
in Lahore, Sukkur, Quetta, Faisalabad, Multan, Dera Ismail
Khan, Peshawar and Karachi.[104]
Other ombudsman agencies in Pakistan include Provincial
Ombudsman (Mohtasib-e-Aala) offices in Punjab,
[105]
 Balochistan and Sindh;[106] a banking ombudsman,
the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan;[107] a Federal Insurance
Ombudsman and a Federal Tax Ombudsman.[108] The
disputed region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir also has
an Ombudsman office. Under the Protection of Women
against Harassment at Workplace Act 2010, Musarrat Hilali
was appointed in the same year to be the first Federal
Ombudsperson for Protection of Women against
Harassment at Workplace. The Act provides for similar
offices at the provincial level.
The various ombudsman agencies participate in a Forum of
Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO), and the federal bodies are
affiliated to the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA) and
the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI).
Peru[edit]
The Peruvian ombudsman agency is called the Public
Defender (Spanish: Defensoría del Pueblo).[109] The
functions of the institution, which was envisaged by the
1993 Constitution and was created in 1996, include
combating maladministration, human rights violations and
discrimination. It has 36 offices throughout the country.
[110]
 The current Defensora (ombudsman), Beatriz Merino,
was elected by Congress on 29 September 2005 for a five-
year term. The Defensoría is accredited with 'A' status as
the national human rights institution.[111] There is also a
specialised Police Ombudsman (Defensoría de la Policia).
Philippines[edit]
The Office of the Ombudsman of the Philippines is
empowered by the 1987 Constitution to safeguard both the
government and government-owned corporations from
corruption and dispense justice in the case of such
offenses.[112]
Poland[edit]
The Polish Ombudsman is called the Rzecznik Praw
Obywatelskich, usually translated as the Commissioner for
Protection of Civil Rights, or Commissioner for Human
Rights. The office also functions as the national human
rights institution, and is accredited with A status by the ICC.
The holder of the office from 2006, Dr Janusz Bogumił
Kochanowski, died in the April 2010 Smolensk air disaster.
He was succeeded by Irena Lipowicz. Since 2015, this
position has been held by Adam Bodnar.
Portugal[edit]
The Portuguese Ombudsman is called the Provedor de
Justiça [pt][113] (lit. Justice Provider), and its role is defined in
article 23 of the Constitution of Portugal:
1. Citizens may submit complaints against actions or
omissions by the public authorities to the Ombudsman,
who shall assess them without the power to take decisions
and shall send the competent bodies such
recommendations as may be necessary in order to prevent
or make good any injustices.
2. The Ombudsman’s work shall be independent of any
acts of grace or legal remedies provided for in this
Constitution or the law.
3. The Ombudsman’s office shall be an independent body
and the Assembly of the Republic shall appoint the
Ombudsman for such time as the law may determine.
4. The bodies and agents of the Public Administration shall
cooperate with the Ombudsman in the fulfilment of his
mission.
Besides the traditional routes, complaints can be filed
online[114] and there are toll-free lines for children and one
for senior citizens. The first Ombudsman was Manuel da
Costa Brás (Tenente-Coronel) (Liutenant Colonel). [115]
Romania[edit]
Main article: Romanian Ombudsman
The ombudsman office is the People's
Advocate (Romanian: Avocatul Poporului). Since 26 June
2019, the current ombudsman is Renate Webber,
[116]
 preceded by Victor Ciorbea since 15 April 2014.[117]
Russia[edit]
The Russian Federation's Commissioner for Human
Rights (ombudsman) position is currently held by Tatyana
Moskalkova. The Commissioner is appointed for a fixed
term by the Parliament. The ombudsman cannot be
dismissed before the end of their term, and is not
subordinate to any body of power, including
the President or the Government.[118]
Russia’s 83 administrative regions have the right to elect a
local ombudsman whose authority is limited to that region.
Fewer than half have done so.[119]
There is also a Children's Rights Commissioner post,
appointed by the President, currently held by Anna
Kuznetsova.
In June 2012 Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order on the
Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs’ Rights –
Boris Titov.[120]
Serbia[edit]
In Serbia, the Protector of Citizens of the Republic of
Serbia[121] (Ombudsman) is an independent state authority,
mandated to protect human rights and freedoms. It was
introduced into the legal system in 2005 by the Law on
Ombudsman and confirmed by the Constitution of Serbia in
2006. Ombudsman is elected by the National Assembly of
the Republic of Serbia[122] for a five-year-term and is
accountable to the Assembly for his work. The
Ombudsman enjoys the same immunity as a member of
the parliament.
The first Serbian Ombudsman, Saša Janković,[123] was
elected by the National Assembly in July 2007. He has four
deputies,[124] who are specialized in several fields, especially
the protection of rights of persons deprived of liberty,
gender equality, children rights, minority rights and rights of
people with disabilities.
The Ombudsman has competence to oversee the work of
government agencies, the bodies authorized for legal
protection of property rights and interests of the Republic of
Serbia and other bodies and organizations, enterprises and
institutions which have been delegated public authority. He
has no jurisdiction over the National Assembly, the
President, the Government, the Constitutional Court, courts
and Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Ombudsman initiates
proceedings following the complaint of a citizen or on his
own initiative. State administration bodies are legally
obliged to cooperate with the Ombudsman and to provide
him access to their premises and all data in their
possession, regardless of the degree of secrecy, when of
interest to the investigation in process or the Ombudsman’s
preventive actions. As a result of an investigation, the
Ombudsman may recommend dismissal of an official
considered responsible for violation of the rights of citizens,
may initiate disciplinary procedures against public
administration employees, and may require initiation of
penal, offence or other adequate procedure.
The Ombudsman can also act preemptively, by offering
advice and opinion on issues within his competence, to
enhance the operation of the administration authorities and
strengthen the protection of human liberties and rights. The
Ombudsman is entitled to propose laws within its scope of
competence, give opinions to the Government and the
National Assembly on regulations under preparation and
address the Constitutional Court to challenge the
constitutionality of laws.
The Ombudsman provides the National Assembly with an
annual report on his work and findings as well as with other
special reports.
The Ombudsman has full membership in the European
Ombudsman Institute[125] (EOI), the International
Ombudsman Association[126] (IOA), the European Network of
Ombudspersons for Children[127] (ENOC) and
the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen[128] (AMO). In
May 2010, it was accredited with 'A' status as the national
human rights institution.
Slovakia[edit]
Ombudsman role was established as a result of the
Ombudsman Act (564/2001). National assembly approves
candidate to this position with function term 5 years and
maximum of two consecutive terms is allowed.
Ombudsman provides national assembly with annual report
as a minimum. In case of severe violation of fundamental
rights or large number of people affected, ombudsman
provides special or extraordinary report anytime. This has
happened already three times between 2013-2017, but
because of "opposition background" of the last but one
ombudsman, judge Jana Dubovcová, her concerns were
actually ignored by assembly majority, lot of members of
parliament were missing during her speeches and public
institutions were allowed to ignore the report, so actually no
actions were taken to correct the situation. Most recent
ombudsman, lawyer and university teacher Mária
Patakyová, was elected in March 2017.
Slovenia[edit]
The institution of the Human Rights Ombudsman of the
Republic of Slovenia was introduced into the Slovenian
constitutional order through the new Constitution of the
Republic of Slovenia, which was adopted in December
1991.[129] The Human Rights Ombudsman is defined in
Article 159 of the Constitution, which provides that in order
to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in
relation to state authorities, local self-government
authorities and bearers of public authority, the office of the
Ombudsman for the rights of citizens shall be established
by law.
The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of
Slovenia is a constitutional category that does not fall under
the executive, judicial or legislative branch of authority. The
Ombudsman is therefore not part of any mechanism of
authority, but rather acts as an overseer of authority since
as an institution it restricts its capricious encroachment of
human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Ombudsman is in his work not only limited to handling
direct violations defined as human rights and freedoms in
the constitution, moreover, he may act in any case
whatsoever dealing with a violation of any right of an
individual arising from a holder of authority. He can
intervene also in the case if unfair and poor state
administration in relation to the individual. If the
aforementioned is considered, it can have a significant
impact on the development and increase in legal and
administrative culture between holders of authority and the
individual.
Human rights ombudsman is in relation towards the state
bodies, autonomous and independent agency.
The Ombudsman can caution violators that they should put
right their violation or eliminate irregularities committed, or
can even propose compensation. On your behalf, and with
your authorisation, he can lodge with the Constitutional
Court a request for assessment of the constitutionality and
legality of regulations or official documents, or he may
submit a constitutional complaint owing to the violation of
some right. He may submit to the government or parliament
initiatives for the amendment of laws and other regulations.
He may also suggest to all bodies that fall within his
competence that they improve their dealings and relations
with clients. The Ombudsman may also communicate his
opinion to anyone regarding cases that are linked to the
violation of rights and freedoms. Here it is not important
what kind of procedure is involved, nor the stage of
processing it has reached at the body in question.
The Ombudsman cannot perform work or remove violations
or irregularities in place of the specific state body, local
community body or holder of public authorisation. Those
that committed the violation or irregularity are bound also
themselves to putting right the violation or irregularity.
Equally, the Ombudsman cannot deal with cases that are
subject to court proceedings, except in exceptional cases.
South Africa[edit]
Main article: Chapter nine institutions

 Public Protector
 Auditor-General
Spain[edit]
Main article: Spanish Ombudsman
The state ombudsman of Spain is the Defensor del
Pueblo (Defender of the People), dealing with complaints
of maladministration and having the capacity to bring cases
at the Constitutional Court. The office is prominent in the
international networks of ombudsmen and national human
rights institutions, particularly through the Ibero-American
Ombudsman Federation (FIO).
Ombudsmen in the autonomous communities[edit]
There are comparable offices in the autonomous
communities of Spain, as follows:

 Defensor del Pueblo Andaluz[130] (Andalusia)

 Justicia de Aragón[131] (Aragon)
 Ararteko (full name on website: Herriaren
Defendatzailea: Ararteko)[132] (Basque Country)
 Diputado del Común[133] (Canary Islands)
 Procurador del Común[134] (Castile and León)
 Síndic de Greuges de Catalunya[135] (Catalonia)
 Personero del Común (Extremadura)
 Valedor do Pobo[136] (Galicia)
 Síndic de Greuges de les Illes
Balears[137] (Balearic Islands)
 Defensor del Pueblo de la Región de
Murcia[138] (Murcia)
 Defensor del Pueblo de Navarra / Nafarroako
Arartekoa[139] (Navarre)
 Síndic de Greuges de la Comunitat
Valenciana[140] (Valencian Community)
See also Syndic for more uses of the word síndic in
the Catalan linguistic area.
Former ombudsmen in the autonomous communities[edit]

 Procurador General del Principado de

Asturias[141] (Asturias)
Sweden[edit]
The office of the Parliamentary
Ombudsman (Swedish: Riksdagens ombudsmän,
or Justitieombudsmannen) was established with
the Instrument of Government in 1809, originally under the
title of Ombudsmannen för Riksens ständer.[142]
The office was modelled after Chancellor of
Justice (Swedish: Justitiekanslern), and according to the
principle of separation of powers. The Chancellor of Justice
was installed in 1714 as a proxy for King Charles XII of
Sweden, to act as a representative for the Royal
Government. Today it acts as an ombudsman, mainly to
oversee that Swedish authorities comply with laws on
behalf of the Government, but also to
handle indemnity claims from persons suffered from
imprisonment but later acquitted, or other damages caused
by authorities.[142][143]
The Parliamentary Ombudsman was in turn appointed to
represent the parliament; to oversee that all public
authorities comply with the laws and decrees. The latter
had the specific duty to protect the citizens and as a public
attorney prosecute unlawful government or actions by
authorities and criticise problematic laws, to ensure equality
in the court of law, with inspections and handling of
complains.[142]
With growing attention to discrimination issues in the latter
part of the 20th century a number of new anti-
discriminatory Ombudsmen was appointed, to later be
gathered under one roof, with the establishment of
the Equality
Ombudsman (Swedish: Diskrimineringsombudsmannen) in
2009.[144]
The Ombudsman for
Children (Swedish: Barnombudsmannen) was established
in 1993, and is tasked with matters affecting the rights and
interests of children and young people.[145]
The Director-General of the Swedish Consumer Agency is
the designated Consumer Ombudsman
(Swedish: Konsumentombudsmannen).[146]
Non-government appointed entities are
the Pressombudsmannen, supervising compliance with the
code of ethics of the Swedish printed media industry,
[147]
 and Sameombudsmannen, an advocate for the rights of
the native Sami minority in Sweden, appointed by
the Saami Council until 1997.
Taiwan[edit]
Under the R.O.C. Constitution and its seventh
amendments, the Control Yuan, one of the five branches of
the Taiwanese government, functions as the ombudsman.
Other than acting as the auditor of national government
and being responsible for impeachment of officials, the
Control Yuan investigates petitions and complaints from the
general public about government policies and misdeeds
committed by officials (both national and regional), and
proposes corrective measures. The government agencies
in question need to respond to the proposed measures
within two months from the date of issue.[148]
The 29 Members of Control Yuan are nominated by
the President and confirmed by the Legislative Yuan to
serve a six-year renewable term.
In 2020, the National Human Rights Commission was
established under the Control Yuan as a national human
rights institution in line with the Paris Principles with power
to investigate human rights abuse, to facilitate legislation of
human rights protection and to promote human rights
education.[149][150]
Tajikistan[edit]
The Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman was
established in 2009, and receives support from the OSCE.
[151]
 The current Ombudsman is Zarif Alizoda, appointed by
President Emomalii Rahmon and approved by Parliament
in May 2009. The functions of his office include human
rights education, on which it co-operates with other public
bodies and NGOs.[152] It also works with a coalition of NGOs
on monitoring places of detention.[153]
Thailand[edit]
The Office of the Ombudsman Thailand (Thai: ผูต้ รวจการแผ่น
ดินของรัฐสภา, RTGS: Phu Truat Kan Phaendin Khong
Ratthasapha) was created in the 1997 Constitution of
Thailand or the "people's constitution". The name was
shortened to the Ombudsmen (Thai: ผูต้ รวจการแผ่น
ดิน, RTGS: Phu Truat Kan Phaendin) by the 2007 Constitution
of Thailand. The idea for such an office first appeared in
the 1974 constitution. On 1 April 2000 the first Thai
ombudsman was appointed by the king.[154]
Ombudsmen are appointed by the King of Thailand upon
the advice of the Senate of Thailand. The ombudsmen
investigate complaints by the public against public officials
and agencies. They have the power to prosecute, but not to
enforce judgments. The 2007 constitution of 2007 charged
the ombudsman to oversee the ethical practices of
politicians, government officials, or state officials as well as
to establish a code of ethics to be followed by all agencies
including the Ombudsman Code of Ethics. [154][155]
In January 2020, the Office of the Ombudsman abolished
its 2012 and 2014 travel regulations, which covered only
the ombudsmen's expenses during domestic and overseas
trips, and replaced them with a new version that allows
ombudsmen's spouses to claim identical benefits on
overseas trips. The benefits include all transport and
accommodation expenses and a 3,100 baht daily
allowance or all expenses incurred not to exceed 4,500
baht per day. The rules took effect on 29 January after
being announced in the Royal Gazette. The new
regulations did not address the question of why spouses
should travel at public expense.[156]
Ombudsmen are appointed to a six-year non-renewable
term. As of August 2019 Thailand's ombudsmen are:[157]

 General Viddhavat Rajatanun, Chief

Ombudsman (appointed 2012)
 Mr Boon Tapanadul, Ombudsman
 Mr Somjak Suwansujarit, Ombudsman
In 2019, the Office of the Ombudsman investigated 4,762
cases, of which 2,530 were "dealt with". Most complaints
involved the Royal Thai Police and the Department of Local
Administration (DLA). Since its founding in 2000, the
ombudsman's office has investigated 48,441 cases and
resolved 46,209 (95.4%) of them.[158]
Turkey[edit]
The Ombudsman's Office was created after
the constitutional referendum of 2010 was approved. The
Ombudsman's Office is responsible for examining and
investigating all manner of administrative acts, actions,
attitudes and behavior in terms of respect for human rights
and freedoms, conformity with the law and fairness and
appropriateness within the framework of the character of
the Republic of Turkey as enshrined in its Constitution. It
performs its functions as part of the Parliament Speaker's
Office. The Ombudsman's Office is called the Public
Monitoring Institution (KDK) and has an independent and
autonomous budget.
Ukraine[edit]
The office of ombudsman, or Commissioner for Human
Rights, in Ukraine was instituted in 1998. The first
ombudsman was Nina Karpachova until 2012. Valeriya
Lutkovska was elected to the office for a five-year term by
secret ballot in the Ukrainian Parliament on 24 April 2012.
[159]
 Under Article 55 of the 1996 Constitution, "Everyone has
the right to appeal for the protection of his her rights to the
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights".
Article 101 provides "The Ukrainian Parliament
Commissioner for Human Rights exercises parliamentary
control over the observance of constitutional human and
citizens’ rights and freedoms."[160] The legal basis of the
office, which is also Ukraine's national human rights
institution, is set out in Law 767/97, which refers to the
office as the "Authorised Human Rights Representative" of
the Parliament.[161] Lyudmyla Denisova was elected to the
office by secret ballot in the Ukrainian Parliament on 15
March 2018.[162]
United Kingdom[edit]
In the United Kingdom a post of Ombudsman is attached to
the Westminster Parliament, jurisdiction extending to all
departments of the central government and other
government institutions. The office of the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Administration was created in 1967,
covering the activities of central government departments.
A separate (National) Health Service ombudsman was
subsequently created, but this office has to date always
been held by the same person and the two offices are
usually referred to as the Parliamentary and Health Service
Ombudsman. This Ombudsman will usually investigate
complaints referred to him or her by a Member of
Parliament where there has been evidence of
"maladministration" having occurred which has resulted in
an "unremedied injustice". Complaints to the Ombudsman
are subject to a "time bar" – this means that the
Ombudsman may determine a complaint to be out of
jurisdiction if too much time has passed between the event
or course of events being complained about and the
complaint being received by the Ombudsman.
Separate agencies exist to handle complaints relating to
departments and agencies of the devolved administrations.
These are the Northern Ireland Ombudsman, the Public
Services Ombudsman for Wales and the Scottish Public
Services Ombudsman, answerable respectively to
the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and
the Scottish Parliament.
The Local Government Ombudsman (formally the
Commission for Local Government Administration – there
are two Commissioners) for England and Wales was
created in 1973, and a similar office for Scotland in 1974;
since then, a variety of other public and private sector-
specific ombudsmen have been created, along with
the Northern Ireland Ombudsman.
Other ombudsman services in the United Kingdom[edit]

 Communications and Internet Services

Adjudication Scheme (CISAS) provides free,
independent dispute resolution with
communications providers
 Financial Ombudsman Service provides
consumers and small businesses with a free,
independent service for resolving disputes with
Banks, Insurance and other financial
organisations (includes private medical
insurance)
 Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme for the
Isle of Man
 Furniture Ombudsman[163]
 Housing Ombudsman: An independent service
dealing with complaints against landlords and
agents, and other housing disputes.[164]
 Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman
 Legal Ombudsman
 Motor Ombudsman[165]
 Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
 Office of the Independent Adjudicator[166] reviews
individual complaints by students against
universities
 Ombudsman Services is a non-profit company
that provides dispute resolution for the
communications, energy and copyright licensing
industries
 Parliamentary and Health Service
Ombudsman [167]
 Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
 Pensions Ombudsman investigates and decides
complaints and disputes about private, civil
service and other public sector pensions and
pension schemes
 Prisoner Ombudsman, Northern Ireland
 Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
 Property Ombudsman deals with consumer
disputes with estate or property agents [168]
 Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
 Removal Industry Services Ombudsman[169]
 Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman
 Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
Former ombudsman services in the United Kingdom[edit]

 The Retail Ombudsman ran from 1 January 2015

to July 2017 when the company lost its
ombudsman status
United States[edit]
Main article: Ombudsmen in the United States
Members of the United States Congress serve as federal-
level ombudsmen in their oversight capacity over federal
agencies, and employ staff specifically dedicated to legal
compliance enforcement and investigations of
maladministration on behalf of constituents.
Uruguay[edit]
In 2012 the Uruguayan Ombudsman was appointed. The
Ombudsman was created in 2010 as a Parliamentary
Officer. The formal name of the institution is Institute for
Human Rights and Ombudsman (Instituto para los
Derechos Humanos y Defensoria del Pueblo). It is
composed of 5 members appointed by the Uruguayan
Parliament.
Uzbekistan[edit]
The office of the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of
the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, or
Ombudsman, was created in 1995, by an initiative of the
President of Uzbekistan, but subsequently through
legislation enacted in 1997, reinforced by a constitutional
reform in 2003 and a new ombudsman statute in 2004. The
current Authorised Person, appointed by the Supreme
Assembly of Uzbekistan (Oliy Majlis), is Ulugbek
Muhammadiev. The office was one of the first ombudsmen
established in the Commonwealth of Independent States,
and receives technical support from the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe.[170]

In fiction[edit]
For the Canadian television series, see Ombudsman (TV
series).
In the science fiction television series Babylon 5, the
arbiters aboard space station Babylon 5 who preside over
cases stemming from public complaints are referred to
as ombuds (this is both the singular and plural
designation), the gender-neutral title for an ombudsman.
Just as with their modern European counterparts, the
ombuds only preside over public cases, including robbery,
assault, and murder, and do not interpret law as a regular
judiciary does.
Opus the penguin was an ombudsman in the strip Bloom
County until he was fired.
John Perry, the protagonist of The Last Colony, written
by John Scalzi starts off the novel as an ombudsman for a
newly settled human colony.
The webcomic PvP ran a story arc starting at the beginning
of March 2009 parodying the comic series and
movie Watchmen called The Ombudsmen.
The Fox News parody show, Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld,
meets three times per episode with "TV's Andy Levy,
Ombudsman".

See also[edit]
 Children's ombudsman
 Complaint system
 Human rights activists
 Information commissioner
 Liaison officer
 National human rights institution

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27. ^ "Walloon Ombudsman website". Archived from the
original on 4 February 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
28. ^ "Le Médiateur". www.mediateurcf.be. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
29. ^ Hardt, Marlene.  "Ombudsfrau". www.dg-
ombudsmann.be. Retrieved  23 July 2018.
30. ^ "Pensions Ombudsman".  www.mediateurpensions.be.
Retrieved 19 May2017.
31. ^ "Bermuda Ombudsman -
Welcome".  www.ombudsman.bm. Retrieved 19
May 2017.
32. ^ "Bermuda Ombudsman Act 2004"  (PDF). Retrieved  19
May 2017.
33. ^ Buzadzic, Dzenan.  "Izbor jezika - Institucija
ombudsmena/ombudsmana za ljudska prava Bosne i
Hercegovine". www.ombudsmen.gov.ba. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
34. ^ "Bosnia and Herzegovina Ombudsman
legislation"  (PDF). Archived from the original  (PDF) on
25 April 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
35. ^ "Site da PFDC". pfdc.pgr.mpf.mp.br. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
36. ^ "PFDC é a mais nova integrante da Federação
Iberoamericana de Ombudsman (FIO) — Site da
PFDC".  pfdc.pgr.mpf.mp.br. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
37. ^ "Ouvidoria da Policia do Estado de São
Paulo".  www.ouvidoria-policia.sp.gov.br. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
38. ^ "Rio Grande do Norte Social Security Ombudsman
website". Archived from  the original on 24 March 2012.
Retrieved 19 May 2017.
39. ^ Color.bg, Web Architecture by.  "Омбудсман на
Република България". www.ombudsman.bg.
Retrieved 19 May 2017.
40. ^ "Diana Kovacheva sworn in as Bulgaria's
Ombudsman". Focus Information Agency. 5 September
2019. Retrieved  5 September 2019.
41. ^ Ombudsman, Government of Canada, National
Defence, Office of the; l’Ombudsman, Gouvernement du
Canada, Défense nationale, Bureau de.  "Ombudsman
National Defence and Canadian
Forces". www.ombudsman.forces.gc.ca. Retrieved  19
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42. ^ Ombudsman, Government of Canada, Office of the
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43. ^ Crime, Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims
of. "Home: Federal Ombudsman for Victims of
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44. ^ Ombudsman, Office of the Taxpayers'. "Office of the
Taxpayers' Ombudsman - Canada.ca". www.oto-
boc.gc.ca. Retrieved  19 May  2017.
45. ^ Ombudsman, Veterans; vétérans, Ombudsman
des. "Veterans Ombudsman". www.ombudsman-
veterans.gc.ca. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
46. ^ "Alberta Ombudsman - Your voice of fairness". Alberta
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47. ^ "BC Ombudsman website". Retrieved  19 May  2017.
48. ^ "Manitoba Ombudsman".  www.ombudsman.mb.ca.
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49. ^ "New Brunswick Ombudsman website". Archived
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May 2017.
50. ^ "Newfoundland/Labrador ombudsman website".
Archived from  the original on 27 August 2011.
Retrieved 19 May 2017.
51. ^ "Nova Scotia Office of the
Ombudsman".  www.gov.ns.ca. Retrieved  19 May  2017.
52. ^ "Quebec ombudsman website". Archived from  the
original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved  19 May  2017.
53. ^ "Ombudsman
Saskatchewan".  www.ombudsman.sk.ca. Retrieved  19
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54. ^ "Yukon Ombudsman, Information Privacy
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55. ^ a b http://www.atinachile.cl/node/19760 Archived 24
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defensor-del-pueblo-una-solucion-muy.html (Spanish),
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57. ^ http://portalfio.org/inicio/index.php/pagina-
principal/ombudsman-de-tu-pais.html Archived 8
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61. ^ "Επίτροπος Διοικήσεως και Ανθρωπίνων
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62. ^ "Czech ombudsman website". Archived from the
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63. ^ "Radio Prague - Ex-Constitutional Court judge Pavel
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64. ^ "Concluding Observations of the Committee on the
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65. ^ Law no. 568 of 18 June 2012 § 1, nr. 4-5
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68. ^ Ombudsman, European.  "Home page»European
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69. ^ "The Parliamentary Ombudsman of
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70. ^ "Website of the Finnish ombudsman for gender
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71. ^ "Claire Hédon, Défenseure des droits".  Défenseur des
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72. ^ "მთავარი - საქართველოს სახალხო
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73. ^ "Petitionsausschuss". Archived from the original  on 18
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75. ^ "Welcome to the Gibraltar Public Services
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76. ^ "Greek Ombudsman website". Retrieved 19 May 2017.
77. ^ "Umboðsmaður
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78. ^ "LIST OF AGENCIES IN GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
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80. ^ "Bedava Bonus Veren Bahis -
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82. ^ "Account Suspended". prokum.esdm.go.id.
83. ^ "Archived copy"  ‫ سازمان حقوقی بین المللی فعال در‬È‫آمبودزمان؛‬
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84. ^ "Irish Ombudsman legislation". Archived from  the
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85. ^ "Irish Ombudsman website". ombudsman.gov.ie.
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90. ^ "The Office of the Public Defender of
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91. ^ "Kazakh Ombudsman website". Archived from  the
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92. ^ "Kazakhstan presidential decree creating
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93. ^ "Kazakh Ombudsman history page". Archived from the
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94. ^ "Kenyan Ombudsman website".  ombudsman.go.ke.
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101. ^ "Macedonian ombudsman website". Archived
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102. ^ "Pasient- og brukerombudet i Oslo og Akershus
og Sosial- og eldreombudet i Oslo". Retrieved 19
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104. ^ a b "FOCAL PERSONS/LIAISON OFFICERS
APPOINTED IN FEDERAL
DEPARTMENTS".  www.mohtasib.gov.pk. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
105. ^ "Ombudsman (Mohtasib) Punjab,
Pakistan". www.ombudsmanpunjab.gov.pk. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
106. ^ [email protected], Verge Systems
-.  "Provincial Mohtasib (Ombudsman)
Sindh".  www.mohtasibsindh.gov.pk. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
107. ^ ".::: Welcome to Pakistan Banking Mohtasib  :::.
"Copyright By TECHOMAN
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108. ^ "Welcome to Federal Tax Ombudsman
Pakistan". www.fto.gov.pk. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
109. ^ ".. Defensoría del
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110. ^ "Oxford University research paper on Peruvian
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111. ^ "NHRI Forum website". Archived from  the
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115. ^ "O Provedor de Justiça em
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119. ^ "The Moscow Times — News, Business, Culture
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original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
120. ^ "Executive Order appointing Ombudsman for
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121. ^ "Почетна".  www.zastitnik.rs. Retrieved  19
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122. ^ "Parliament of the Republic of
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123. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from  the original on
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124. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from  the original on
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125. ^ "EUROPÄISCHES OMBUDSMANN INSTITUT
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126. ^ "The International Ombudsman Association -
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127. ^ "ENOC Members".  ENOC. Retrieved 27
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128. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from  the original on
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129. ^ "Human Rights Ombudsman RS". www.varuh-
rs.si. Retrieved 19 May2017.
130. ^ "Defensor del Pueblo Andaluz". www.defensor-
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131. ^ "El Justicia de
Aragón". www.eljusticiadearagon.com. 27 February
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132. ^ ararteko.net Herriaren Defendatzailea: Ararteko /
Defensoría del Pueblo del País Vasco: Ararteko, Basque
Country Ombudsman website. (In Basque and Spanish.)
133. ^ Gomez, Daniel Martin.  "Diputado del Común - El
Defensor del Pueblo de
Canarias". www.diputadodelcomun.com. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
134. ^ "Procurador del Común". Retrieved  19
May 2017.
135. ^ Síndic de Greuges Archived 8 April 2006 at
the Wayback Machine, official website of the
Ombudsman of Catalonia. In the Catalan
language, Síndic de Greuges (masculine form)
or Síndica de Greuges (feminine form) can be literally
translated as "advocate of grievances".
136. ^ "Valedor do Pobo" (in Galician). Retrieved 17
June  2019.
137. ^ Síndic de Greuges de les Illes Balears /
Ombudsman of the Balearic Islands Archived 2013-06-11
at the Wayback Machine, on the Balearic Islands
Parliament website. (In Catalan and Spanish.) Consulted
15 April. On the Balearic Islands, the ombudsman is a
High Commissioner of the Parliament.
138. ^ "Defensor de PYMES y STARTUPS de la
Región de Murcia".  www.defensor-rm.es. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
139. ^ Defensor del Pueblo de Navarra / Nafarroako
Arartekoa. (In Catalan and Spanish.)
140. ^ Síndic de Greuges de la Comunitat
Valenciana Archived 2007-05-05 at the Wayback
Machine, official website of the Ombudsman of the
Valencian Region. (In Catalan and Spanish.).
141. ^ "Ley 2/2013, de 21 de junio, de supresión del
Procurador General"(PDF). www.boe.es. Retrieved  28
December 2018.
142. ^ a b c "The Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsmen
established in 1809". JO. Retrieved  25 July 2014.
143. ^ "INFORMATION ON THE OFFICE OF THE
CHANCELLOR OF JUSTICE". Chancellor of Justice.
Retrieved 26 July  2014.
144. ^ "About the Equality Ombudsman". do.se.
Retrieved 26 July  2014.
145. ^ "About us". Barnombudsmannen. Retrieved  26
July  2014.
146. ^ "The Swedish Consumer Agency".
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151. ^ "Border management, Afghanistan, energy
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Meeting on OSCE and Tajikistan -
OSCE". www.osce.org. Retrieved  19 May  2017.
152. ^ "Statement by the Permanent Mission of
Tajikistan Mr. Alizoda Zarif, Ombudsman of Tajikistan -
OSCE". www.osce.org. Retrieved  19 May  2017.
153. ^ "OSCE Office in Tajikistan helps Ombudsman
and civil society prepare for joint monitoring of closed
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154. ^ a b "The Emergence of Ombudsman in
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155. ^ "Ombudsman Code of Ethics".  Office of the
Ombudsman Thailand. Retrieved  3 February  2020.
156. ^ "Ombudsmen's new rules a
folly"  (Opinion).  Bangkok Post. 2 February 2020.
Retrieved 3 February 2020.
157. ^ "Ombudsmans [sic]".  Office of the Ombudsman
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158. ^ "Police top target of complaints". Bangkok Post.
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159. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from  the original on 2
December 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
160. ^ "Ukrainian Ombudsman website". Archived
from  the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
161. ^ "Ukrainian Ombudsman statute 1997". Archived
from  the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
162. ^ "Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada votes for personnel
matters". 112. Retrieved 16 March  2018.
163. ^ "The Furniture Ombudsman". The Furniture
Ombudsman. Retrieved 23 July  2018.
164. ^ "What we do". Housing Ombudsman Service.
Retrieved 21 June  2018.
165. ^ "The Motor Ombudsman - Motor Industry Codes
of Practice".  The Motor Ombudsman. Retrieved 23
July  2018.
166. ^ Adjudicator, OIA - Office of the
Independent.  "Office of the Independent Adjudicator -
OIA Homepage".  www.oiahe.org.uk. Retrieved  19
May 2017.
167. ^ "Welcome to the Parliamentary and Health
Service Ombudsman - Parliamentary and Health Service
Ombudsman (PHSO)".  www.ombudsman.org.uk.
Retrieved 23 July  2018.
168. ^ "The Property Ombudsman scheme: free, fair &
impartial redress". www.tpos.co.uk. Retrieved 23
July  2018.
169. ^ "The Removals Ombudsman". Retrieved  17
June  2019.
170. ^ "Официальный сайт Уполномоченного Олий
Мажлиса Республики Узбекистан по правам
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External links[edit]
Look up ombudsman in
Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has

media related
to Ombudsman.

 JPGMOnline.com – 'The role of the ombudsman

in biomedical journals', Journal of Postgraduate
Medicine, Vol 48, No 4, pp 292–296, 2002
 OmbudsmanWatch.org – 'Local Government
Ombudsman Watch' (United Kingdom)
 POGO.org – 'EPA Ombudsman Resigns:
Accountability in Handling of Superfund Sites
Threatened', Project on Government
Oversight (22 April 2002)
 Transparency.org – 'What is an Ombudsman'
 Ombudsman Institutions for the Armed Forces
Handbook – 'A practical guide to the role of
military ombudsman', Geneva Centre for the
Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF)
 Ombuds Blog – 'News and Information For and
About Organizational Ombuds'
 Ombudsman Institutions and Minority Issues,
Study by the European Centre for Minority
Issues
 SÖP Schlichtungsstelle für den öffentlichen
Personenverkehr e.V., Ombudsman Institution of
Public Transport in Germany
 Deflem, Mathieu. 2017. "The Ombuds and Social
Control." The Independent Voice, IOA
newsletter, May 2017.
International and regional ombudsman
associations[edit]

 International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) –

representing 150 public sector independent
ombudsman institutions on the national, state,
regional and local level around the globe
 Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA) – "To
promote the concepts of Ombudsmanship and to
encourage its development in Asia"
 Association of Mediterranean
Ombudsmen (AMO)
 ANZOA – Australian and New Zealand
Ombudsman Association (ANZOA)
 Ombudsman Association (formerly the British
and Irish Ombudsman Association, BIOA)
 European Network of Ombudspersons for
Children (ENOC)
 ENOHE – European Network of Ombudsmen in
Higher Education (ENOHE), Universiteit van
Amsterdam
 European Ombudsman Institute European
Ombudsman Institute
 IOA – International Ombudsman Association
(IOA)
 ONO – Organization of News Ombudsmen
(ONO)
Ombudsman directories[edit]
 IOI – International Ombudsman Institute
(international directory of ombudsmen)
 Ombuds Blog includes lists of organizational
ombuds offices in corporations, academic,
governmental, and other organizations
 BNF: cb11940706p (data)

 GND: 4075654-3
thority
 LCCN: sh85094681
ntrol 
 NDL: 00568819

 NKC: ph135469
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 This page was last edited on 18 February 2021, at 21:38 (UTC).
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