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An ombudsman (n state Ombudsman). The word ''ombudsman'' and its specific meaning, Swedish in origin, have since been adopted in to English as well as other languages, and ombudsmen have been instituted by other governments and organizations such as the European Union . An ombudsman need not be appointed by government; they may work for a corporation, a newspaper, an NGO , or even for the general public. ORIGINS AND ETYMOLOGY The origin of the word is found in Old Swedish ''umbuðsmann'' ( Accusative ) and the word ''umbuds man'', meaning representative and is not gender specific. The first preserved use is in Swedish . From 1552, it is also used in the other Scandinavian languages such as the Icelandic "umboðsmaður", the Norwegian "ombudsmann" and the Danish "ombudsmand". The modern use of the term began in Sweden , with the Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsman instituted in 1809 , to safeguard the rights of citizens by establishing a supervisory agency independent of the Executive Branch . A prototype of modern ombudsmen flourished in China during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC), and in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty . The Romans also grappled with the problem, but it was the example of the second Muslim Caliph, Umar (634-644) and the concept of Qadi al-Qadat (developed in the Muslim world), which influenced the Swedish King, Charles XII . In 1713, fresh from self-exile in Turkey , Charles XII created the Office of Supreme Ombudsman, which soon became the Chancellor Of Justice . A parallel institution, the Parliamentary Ombudsman , was later established by the Riksdag , and it was this that the Scandinavian countries subsequently molded into its contemporary form. Although the word is, historically, gender-neutral, some writers have replaced ''ombudsman'' in speech and writing with "ombuds officer", "ombudsperson", or just "ombuds", or, in cases where the person in question is a woman, "ombudswoman". OMBUDSMAN IN POLITICS In most contexts, "ombudsman" refers to 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, a report is published to that effect. Further redress depends on the laws of the country concerned, but normally involves financial compensation. Ombudsmen do not, however, tend to have the power to initiate legal proceedings or prosecution on the grounds of a complaint. This role is sometimes referred to as a 'tribunitian' role, and has been traditionally fuflilled by elected representatives (The term refers to the ancient Roman ' Tribunes Of The People ' (''tribuni plebis''), whose role was in theory similar to that of a modern ombudsman). In the UK, 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 has to date always been the same person and the two offices are combined. The Local Government Ombudsman (formally the Commission for Local Government Administration - there are three Commissioners) for England and Wales was created in 1973, and for Scotland in 1974; since then, a variety of other public and private sector-specific ombudsmen have been created. Critics claim that the Ombudsmen appear independent while actually being recruited from the ranks of officials and their function tends to entail little more than rubber stamping for official decisions. Use of the ombudsman schemes is becoming increasingly common, although citizens will often pursue grievances against government through their local MP , or else through another MP or the courts. In the US, there are ombudsmen at the federal level such as the Department of Homeland Security Citizenship & Immigration Services Ombudsman {Link without Title} , as well as some limited use of the system in some states. In Canada the office of the ombudsman is present in all departments of the federal government,in many provincial and municipal governments as well as in Crown Corporations such as CBC . In the Republic Of China , the role of the Control Yuan is comparable to that of an ombudsman. The major advantage of an ombudsman is that he or she examines complaints from the outside of the state institutions that are being complained about. However, the system relies heavily on the selection of an appropriate individual for the office, and on the cooperation of at least some members of the state itself. Perhaps for this reason, outside Scandinavia, the introduction of ombudsmen has tended to produce somewhat less impressive results than initially hoped. ORGANIZATIONAL OMBUDSMAN See Also: Organizational ombudsman Many private companies, universities and government agencies also have an ombudsman (or an ombudsman department) which serve internal employees or other constituencies. These ombudsman roles are structured to function independently, by reporting to the board of directors, and do not serve any other role in the organization. Organizational ombudsmen are sometimes called "ombuds" or "ombuds officers" or "ombudsperson" or "ombud". They are beginning to appear around the world within organizations, sometimes as an alternative to anonymous hot lines, in countries where the latter are illegal or considered inappropriate. Recently, since the 1960s, the profession has grown in the United States , particularly in corporations, universities and government agencies. This current model, sometimes referred to as an Organizational Ombudsman , works as a designated neutral party, one who is high ranking in an organization, but who is not considered management. Using an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) sensibility, an organizational ombudsman can provide options to Whistleblower s or employees with Ethics concerns, provide Mediation for conflicts, track problem areas, and make recommendations for changes to policies or procedures in support of orderly systems change. One particularly important function is to pick up "new things" -- that is, issues new to the organization. This is particularly important if the "new thing" is "disruptive" in the sense of requiring the organization to review and possibly improve its policies, procedures and/or structures. An organizational ombudsman who is holding to "standards of practice" in the US is neutral and visibly outside ordinary line and staff structures. An organizational ombudsman will practice informally (with no management decisionmaking power, and without accepting "notice" for the organization). An organizational ombudsman typically keeps no case records for an employer and keeps near absolute confidentiality. The only exception is where there appears to be an imminent risk of serious harm, and an ombudsman can see no responsible option other than breaking confidence -- but organizational ombuds programs report that they can almost always find "other responsible options", such as helping a visitor to make an anonymous report about whatever appears to be the problem. NEWS OMBUDSMAN Newspaper and media ombudsman offices are especially valuable for promoting Journalist ic integrity on behalf of readers, viewers and listeners. There is an international Organization Of News Ombudsmen . The position of the public editor is paradoxical, as they are generally employees of the newspaper. However as a valuable symbol of a high standard of Journalism Ethics for a newspaper, the firing of a public editor over any criticisms they might have would contradict their purpose. The press in Sweden is self-regulated through the Public Press Ombudsman (''Allmänhetens Pressombudsman'') and the Swedish Press Council (''Pressens Opinionsnämnd''). LEGISLATIVE/CLASSICAL OMBUDSMAN Sweden
Governmental ombudsmen:
Further, the Director-General of the Swedish Consumer Agency is also designated Consumer Ombudsman, and the Chancellor Of Justice is an ombudsman of sorts. The word Ombudsman is the same in Swedish, or rather ''is'' Swedish. 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. The Ombudsman can also investigate complaints about delays in processing Freedom of Information requests (FOI) and complaints about FOI charges. The Commonwealth Ombudsman is also the Defence Force Ombudsman, Immigration Ombudsman, Postal Industry Ombudsman, Taxation Ombudsman, Law Enforcement Ombudsman and through an arrangement with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government, the ACT Ombudsman. The current Commonwealth Ombudsman is Prof. John McMillan. The various states in Australia have (variously described) state Ombudsman offices also, with similar jurisdiction as described above, except over state government authorities. There is much collaboration in an academic sense between Ombudsmen in Australia, given the highly similar nature of their roles (despite differing jurisdictions). The offices frequently work on joint projects, such as those addressing difficult client behaviour. Bulgaria The institution of the Ombudsman in Bulgaria was established by law in 1998 but the first Ombudsman was elected in April 2005. There is a national ombudsman (Граждански защитник) and regional ombudsmen (Граждански посредници). Croatia The Croatia n Ombudsman is known as '' Pučki Pravobranitelj '', and was established by the Croatian Constitution in 1990. The Ombudsman is appointed by the Parliament, and has the task of ensuring that all government departments and officials follow the law. There are also special ombudsmen for gender equality and ombudsmen for children, since 2003. Czech Republic The Czech Ombudsman is known as '' Veřejný Ochránce Práv '' (Public Defender of Rights). Cyprus The Cypriot Obudsman is known as '' Commissioner For Administration '' , is an Independent Authority and was established οn 15 March 1991. Currently, the Ombudswoman (Commissioner for Administration) is Eliana Nicolaou . {Link without Title} Denmark
Estonia The Estonia n ombudsman is known as '' Õiguskantsler '' ('' Chancellor Of Justice '' {Link without Title} ). European Union The European Ombudsman was established by the Maastricht Treaty , the treaty establishing the European Union . The current European Ombudsman, holding office since April 1, 2003 , is Nikiforos Diamandouros , former national ombudsman of Greece . The European Union Ombudsman investigates claims by companies which reside or have their interests within the European Union against incidents of bad administration by bodies or institutions of the European Union. France In France, since 1973, there is an Government appointed Ombudsman, the "Médiateur de la République". Currently Jean-Paul Delevoye is holding the office, for a single term that will elapse in 2010. Finland In Finland the office of . The Ombudsman is appointed by the 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. She or he 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 advice on the proper application of the law, reprimand the official or in the extreme case order the criminal prosecution of the official. Partly because of the prosecutorial powers the Ombudsman enjoys considerable respect and her or his legal opinions are usually strictly followed. Her or his legal interpretations carry a lot of weight in the absence of a court precedent. There are also special ombudsmen for gender equality, children's welfare, rights of ethnic minorities, data protection, and consumer protection, operating under the auspices of various ministries and other government agencies. Also, every health care provider in Finland is legally obliged to have a patients' rights ombudsman. Greece The Greek Ombudsman is called the Citizen's Advocate and is an Independent Authority. Currently, the Citizen's Advocate is Professor , ii) Social Protection , iii) Quality Of Life , iv) State-citizen Relationships and v) Children's Rights . Hong Kong The Office of The Ombudsman, Hong Kong is an independent statutory authority, established in 1989 under the Ombudsman Ordinance, to redress grievances arising from maladministration in the public sector through independent and impartial investigations to improve the standard of public administration. Resources: Office of The Ombudsman, Hong Kong Iceland The post of Umboðsmaður Alþingis was set up in 1987 under the terms of law number 13/1987, which deals with complaints against the government. His authority was expanded to local government levels in the 1997 law number 85/1997. The Ombudsman is appointed by Alþingi . India The Governing Body of Insurance Council (GBIC) has been set-up under Redressal of Public Grievances Rules 1998, to look after the functioning of Insurance Ombudsman popularly known as ''Bima Lokpal'' established all over India. The Reserve Bank of India revised Banking Ombudsman Scheme with enlarged scope to include customer complaints on certain new areas, such as, credit card complaints, deficiencies in providing the promised services even by banks' sales agents, levying service charges without prior notice to the customer and non adherence to the fair practices code as adopted by individual banks. Applicable to all commercial banks, regional rural banks and scheduled primary cooperative banks having business in India, the revised scheme have came into effect on January 1, 2006. Similarly Ombudsman for Securities also established. The Government is contemplating establishing the Ombudsman for Indirect as well as direct Taxes of the Union. The Insurance Regulation Development Authority has Ombudsman scheme to take care the interests of the Insurer. Ireland The Office of Ombudsman was set up under the terms of the Ombudsman Act, 1980 . 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 , Health Board s and An Post . There are other ombudsmen established in the Republic . 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. Also established in 2005 was the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, the first holder being Paulyn Marrinan Quinn, formerly an Insurance Ombudsman. An Act of 2005 created a three-person tribunal, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Garda_Siochana#Garda_Ombudsman_Commission ,to investigate complaints about the country's police force. All these offices are statutory and their holders are public servants. The creation of a (non-statutory) Press Ombudsman was announced in August 2007. Israel The State Comptroller of Israel 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. Italy In Italy there isn't an ombudsman at national level whereas many units of sub-national government ( Region s, Province s and Communes ) have their ombudsman, known as ''difensore civico'', elected by regional, provincial or communal council. Macedonia Since 1997 Macedonia has an Ombudsman Institution named Naroden pravobranitel for protection of citizens rights. The Ombudsman is appointed by the Parliament. Work of his competence the Ombudsman performs on the base and in the frame of the Constitution and the Law on the Ombudsman. Netherlands, The The idea of ombudsman was introduced in the Netherlands by VARA-presentator Tom Pauka, after a holiday in Sweden in 1969. A television program was started with the name ''De Ombudsman''. Today the Constitution Of The Netherlands determines that there is a National Ombudsman, a state institution. New Zealand The post of Ombudsman was established in New Zealand in 1962, with the aegis of investigation of complaints against government departments. In 1975 the post was expanded, with a Chief Ombudsman and several (number unspecified) of other ombudsmen. New Zealand also has a Banking Ombudsman ; however, this a non-government industry group. The Ombudsman has a very high level of power in New Zealand, and it is either a very brave - or very foolish - government department who attempts to flout an Ombudsman's rulings. Norway
Philippines The Office Of The Ombudsman Of The Philippines is empowered by the '' 1987 Saligang Batas Ng Pilipinas '' to safeguard the government and government-related institutions and corporations from corruption and dispense justice in the case of such offenses. Poland The Polish Ombudsman is called the '' Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich ''. Portugal The Portuguese Ombudsman is called the '' Provedor De Justiça '' (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 roles, there are two . External links Romania The Romanian Ombudsman is known as '' Avocatul Poporului '', meaning People's Advocate. Russia Russian ombudsman position is called "human rights commissioner". This chair is currently held by Vladimir Lukin . South Africa
Spain The Spanish laws translate "ombudsman" as ''defensor del pueblo'' ("People's defender"). The Spanish Defensor can start processes at the Constitutional Court . There is a general Defensor Del Pueblo for issues with the Spanish administration, and regional ones for the Autonomous Communities Of Spain , for instance:
Ukraine Office of ombudsman in Ukraine was instituted in 1998. Since then it is held by Nina Karpachova , which was reelected for the office 3 times. The last reelection date was February 8, 2007. Ukrainian's ombudsman official site: http://ombudsman.kiev.ua/ United Kingdom In the United Kingdom a post of Ombudsman is attached to the Westminster Parliament with additional posts at the Scottish Parliament , the Welsh Assembly and other government institutions. About UK Ombudsman Services The primary UK Ombudsman is known as the Parliamentary And Health Service Ombudsman , also known as the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (PCA), which looks into complaints "that government departments, their agencies and some other public bodies in the UK - and the NHS in England - have not acted properly or fairly or have provided a poor service." The UK Ombudsman will usually investigate complaints 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. ''List of all Ombudsman Services in the United Kingdom''
''Shortcomings'' The impartiality of some UK Ombudsman services has been questioned. In particular the Local Government Ombudsman - all three current Local Ombudsmen previously served as Chief Executives in Local Government and the Local Government Association played a part in their appointment - have been accused of bias and of merely acting as a rubber stamp. {Link without Title} United States Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) http://www.dhs.gov/cisombudsman provides recommendations for resolving individual and employer problems with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). As mandated by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 § 452, The Office of the CIS Ombudsman (CISOMB) is not a part of USCIS, it is an independent DHS office that reports directly to the DHS Deputy Secretary. The DHS CIS Ombudsman: (1) Assists individuals and employers in resolving problems with USCIS; (2) Identifies areas in which individuals and employers have problems in dealing with USCIS; and (3) Proposes changes to mitigate identified problems. By June 30 of each calendar year the Ombudsman submits an annual report to the House and Senate Committees on the Judiciary without any prior comment or amendment from any administrative agency official including: the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, or Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Ombudsman’s annual reports focus on identifying systemic issues that cause delay in granting immigration benefits as well as pervasive and serious problems faced by individuals and employers in their interactions with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). United States Navy The US Navy implemented an ombudsman program in 1970 , under the direction of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt . Through the Navy Ombudsman Program, communication between the spouses of active duty personnel and the command is kept open, thereby improving the quality of life for everyone involved. The Navy command ombudsman is a volunteer position, with no special favors bestowed upon them. The purpose of this program is to ensure the dependents of active duty personnel have a channel of resources for their needs and quality of life. A command ombudsman can guide you to the help you may need, before, during or after a deployment. The Navy Ombudsman undergoes almost constant training, and is bound by confidentiality in most cases, the exception being any hint of child abuse. An ombudsman meets with department heads aboard a naval installation to find out the latest news, and pass it on, including news on ship deployments, cutting down on potentially harmful gossip. Los Angeles, CA The Los Angeles County Department Of Ombudsman was created via the approval of an ordinance in 1993 by the Los Angeles County Board Of Supervisors . This department was the first of its kind in the state of California and the first nationally involved in law enforcement oversight. Los Angeles Department of Ombudsman New York City The New York Public Advocate has an Ombudsman team that investigates and responds to telephone and written complaints/queries regarding city agency services, providing information and referrals. Rhode Island The Rhode Island Department Of Environmental Management employs an ombudsman "charged with authority to undertake independent, and in certain cases confidential, fact-finding in response to external or internal complaints or questions about the Department's performance." The office is currently held by Thomas Getz. RI DEM/Office of the Ombudsman Home Page FICTIONAL OMBUDSMEN 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. SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
Classical/Legislative ombudsmen Australian government ombudsmen
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is a free and independent alternative dispute resolution scheme for small business and residential consumers in Australia who have a complaint about their telephone or Internet service. Established in 1993 by the Australian Federal Government, the TIO is independent of industry, the government and consumer organisations. The TIO is authorised to investigate complaints about the provision or supply of telephone or Internet services. (information was supplied by the official website of the TIO) Canadian government ombudsmen
Chilean ombudsman
Czech government ombudsman
European Parliament ombudsman
Irish ombudsmen Israeli ombudsman
New Zealand government ombudsmen Philippine government ombudsman Swedish government ombudsmen
Ukrainian government ombudsman
United Kingdom government ombudsmen
United States government ombudsmen
Non-governmental (organizational) ombudsmen
Ombudsman associations
Ombudsman directories
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