Office of the Ombudsman

Abstract

The Office of the Ombudsman was established in 1994. The first Ombudsman Act was passed in 1995, but was repealed in 1998. A new Ombudsman Act, with more restrictive powers, came into force in 1999. The most significant restriction was that the power of the Ombudsman to apply to the Supreme Court for an order that recommendations be implemented in the event that the Prime Minister failed to act on recommendations within a set time frame was removed. Since that time there have been a number of reviews and calls to revise and expand the power of the Office of the Ombudsman. The main reason for calls for review is the lack of consistent action in response to Ombudsman’s reports. No changes have been made to the Ombudsman Act or the Leadership Code Act in response to reviews. It is not just the issue of legal power that restricts the operation of the Office of the Ombudsman. Staffing levels have been declining and there are limited resources to carry out public awareness functions. The number of public complaints received and the number of reports issued have also been declining. The fourth Ombudsman passed away in 2012, whilst in Office and this has been somewhat disruptive. In March 2013 Kalkot Mataskelekele was appointed as the fifth Ombudsman.