Stages of development of the institution of the protector of citizens

Abstract

For almost two centuries, the institution of the Protector of Citizens was perceived exclusively as a Nordic experiment. Only since the 1960s the world has been slowly beginning to discover which good sides and power has the function of the protector of citizens, and the real protection of citizens experienced a boom in the 1990s. Often the establishment of the institution of the protector of citizens was done quickly, so some elements have not always been thoughtfully included in the legal system. Thus, the institution of the protector of citizens was included in the legal system of some countries whose legal system is not at all suitable for such an institution and which basically needs to change. This fact is actually a stumbling block for the protector of citizens to be treated as an equal partner of the state administration. This paper deals with two specific issues. The first concerns the types and character of the normative and assessment standards related to different generation of protectors of citizens. The second concerns the importance of normative standards related to the protector of citizens, which should show a multi-laye­red justification for greater transparency of the normative standards used by the protector of citizens.

Keywords

• ombudsman (protector of citizens)
• ombudsman's powers
• normative assessment standards