El Ombdusman en Finlandia

Söderman, Jacob

Publication year:

1992

Publication place:

Donostia-San Sebastián

ISBN:

84-87471-39-0

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Summary

Finnish Constitution was approved in 1919, after the bloody civil war subsequent to the declaration of independence in 1917. That Constitution included the figure of the Ombudsman, following the example of the Swedish model. Its first guiding rule is the adoption of the necessary measures if a judge or another official is founded guilty practice, through partiality or negligence, has contravened the legal rights of te citizens, or has abused of authority in the performance of his duties. The independence of Finnish Ombudsman is based on the fact that he is elected by the Parliament (every four years) and the latter delgates to him its power to supervise the observance of laws by the Goverment, the judicial power and the public officials, and for this control, he acts according to his reflections.His main task is to satisfy from citizens and to perform the necessary imspections in prisons, closed institutions and army units. The Ombudsman system has proved to be useful. The changes in society an the increasing complaints of citizens presuppose the constant improement of the system. Certainly, it is positive that judicature exerte en internal supervision and instruction Nevertheless, this task is suitably supplemented through the Chacellor of Justice of the Council of State and the Parliament Ombudsman. Of course, the most important thing is that control must be performed on the ground of a suitable qualification and a high degres of professionalism, particularly nowadays, when human rights become again a new natural and revelant dimension of the task of Ombudsman in Europe an in the rest of the world.