The Ombudsman oversees the legality of actions taken by the authorities, primarily by investigating complaints received.

Investigations and inspections

Illegalities or shortcomings can also come to the Ombudsman's attention through other channels. In such cases, he can take matters under investigation on his own initiative.

The Ombudsman also conducts on-site investigations in public offices and institutions. He has a special duty to make regular inspection visits to prisons and other institutions, such as psychiatric hospitals, in which persons can be confined against their will. Other places visited are units of the Defence Forces and Border Guard.

In his work, the Ombudsman concentrates on promoting fundamental and human rights. Additionally, when he makes presentations, issues statements or writes articles, he emphasises the importance of these rights in the performance of public tasks and legislative drafting.

Other activities

The Ombudsman actively provides the public with information about his activities.

The instruments of communication used are public service and advice, press releases, this website, Twitter, as well as printed brochures and the annual report. The publications are also available as PDF files on this website.

Ombudsmen in different countries cooperate on a regular basis. In Finland, the Ombudsman maintains contact with major non-governmental organisations.

Whistleblower protection

The Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman is committed to acting responsibly in all situations and to observing strict internal control and operating principles. However, if you notice any shortcomings in our activities, we encourage you to tell us about them. 

Those with a contractual or public-service relationship with the Office can report misconduct through the internal reporting channel available in the Office’s intranet. Other persons within the scope of the Act on the Protection of Persons Reporting Infringements of European Union and National Law (Whistleblower Act), such as former employees, persons who have been to a job interview, and persons with a contractual or public-service relationship with an organisation producing services to the Office, can report misconduct they have observed in connection with their work through the centralised external reporting channel of the Office of the Chancellor of Justice. The Office of the Chancellor of Justice does not investigate the report itself but transfers it to the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman for processing. 

The Chancellor of Justice and the Parliamentary Ombudsman act autonomously and independently and are overseers of legality with a comparable status. They do not oversee each other’s actions.

Further information on whistleblower protection and an electronic reporting form is available in Finnish and Swedish on the website of the Office of the Chancellor of Justice https://oikeuskansleri.fi/en/whistleblower-protection