OMBUDSMAN REPORT
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REPORT
History and Extent of use of Ombudsman System
The office of Ombudsman originated in Sweden in 1809. It was adopted in Finland in 1919, in Denmark in 1955, in Norway and New Zealand in 1962, Guyana in 1966, and the United Kingdom in 1967. The scheme has also been adopted in Mauritius, the Canadian Provinces of Alberta and New Brunswick and the American State of Hawaii. In addition, West Germany set up an Ombudsman for the armed forces in 1957, and the State Comptroller in Israel has assumed the complaint handling function of an Ombudsman. By mid 1967 then, variations of the Ombudsman system had existed in twelve countries. Interest in the scheme has since developed and it is now being actively considered and discussed in countries as far apart and as different in constitutional structure as Canada, Australia, Holland, India, Pakistan, Ireland, Malaysia and Singapore. Many of these countries are adopting or are on the verge of adopting that institution.
The Ombudsman can be described, in short, as a "grievance man" to whom any citizen aggrieved by an administrative act or order can make a complaint. He is chosen by the country's par- liament for a period of years and is responsible only to parliament. The appointment is a non-political one and carries a status of independence. The person appointed must be a person of outstanding merit and integrity who can look into the complaints presented to him without fear or favour.
It is true to say that the Ombudsman scheme is remarkably flexible and is capable of being adopted to meet the special needs of the Hongkong community. This character of flexibility emerged very clearly at the Seminar organised by the United Nations in co-operation with the Government of Jamaica, held at the Myrtle Bank Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, from the 25th April to the 8th May, 1967. In the conclusions of the Seminar it was stated that in the case of countries, other than the Latin American countries,