On the strengthening of the Ombudsman Institution A proposal by The Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman January 2014 MALT A O ce oft he Om budsman | 11,St Pa ulSt reet,Va lletta VLT 1210,Ma lta Phone:+3 56 2248 3210 | Fax:+3 56 2124 7924 | www.ombudsman.org.mt 00002-Ombudsman Letterhead A4 2 col.indd 1 23/01/2013 20:05 On the strengthening of the Ombudsman Institution A proposal by The Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman January 2014 January 2014 Office of the Ombudsman St. Paul Street Valletta, VLT1210 Malta Tel: +356 2248 3200, 22483216 Fax: +356 21247924 Email:
[email protected] www.ombudsman.org.mt Contents Foreword 1 Introduction 4 Of Constitutional Amendments Proposal 1 – The fundamental right to good administration 10 Proposal 2 – The strengthening of the Constitutional Status of the Parliamentary Ombudsman 13 Of the Strengthening of the Institutional Framework Proposal 3 – Of specialisation 21 Proposal 4 – Of convergence 27 On the widening of the Ombudsman’s remit Proposal 5 – Of making full use of existing functions 30 Proposal 6 – Essential service now provided by a private sector 35 Proposal 7 – Bestowing on the Ombudsman a specific and formal mandate to investigate allegations of violations of Fundamental Human Rights 38 Of rendering more effective the Ombudsman’s recommendations Proposal 8 – To extend the Ombudsman’s functions to other areas identified in the Government Electoral Manifesto not hither to subject to his jurisdiction 40 Proposal 9 – The empowerment of recommendations 48 Proposal 10 - Referral to a