The Parliamentary Ombudsman makes sure that the authorities do their job
The Ombudsman supervises that you are treated well and fairly.
He makes sure that the authorities comply with the law and that your rights are respected.The Parliamentary
Ombudsman is the highest overseer of legality in the country. The Ombudsman is selected by the Parliament.
Anyone can get in touch
Anyone can get in touch with the Parliamentary Ombudsman if an authority has
- not complied with the law
- neglected its duties, or
- violated a person’s fundamental or human rights.
For example, the Parliamentary Ombudsman supervises:
Authorities:
-
central government agencies and institutions (including tax offices)
-
municipal agencies and institutions (including comprehensive schools and day-care centres, children’s homes, reform schools and institutions providing care, health centres…)
Public servants:
-
police officers
-
social workers
-
health centre doctors
-
comprehensive school teachers
-
legal guardians
-
building inspectors
Private companies
The Ombudsman supervises private companies when a municipality or the central government buys their services.
Care homes are an example of these companies.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s supervisory activities include
-
examining complaints made to him
-
investigating on his own initiative problems of which he has been informed
-
inspecting institutions and agencies
The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s supervisory activities include
-
The Parliamentary Ombudsman receives some 8,000 complaints every year. Many of them are about social security, health care, the police, prisons, courts of law and the education authorities.
