You Can Be Anything › All careers › Law, Government & Public Policy
Ombudsman
Acts as an independent investigator of complaints against organizations or government agencies.
Did you know?
Sweden's parliament created the first parliamentary ombudsman in 1809, and by 2005 there were about 129 ombudsman offices around the world.
How subjects help
- Law: Check whether a council or company broke the rules in how it treated someone.
- Political Science: Understand how government departments work so you can hold them to account.
- Communication: Listen to both sides of a complaint and explain your decision clearly.
- Philosophy: Decide what is fair when a rule was followed but still caused real harm.
A famous name
Lars August Mannerheim: Became Sweden's first parliamentary ombudsman in 1810, protecting people from unfair officials.
Try it yourself: Argue both sides of a rule
- Pick a real rule at home or school, like "no phones at dinner".
- Write the three strongest reasons FOR the rule.
- Now write the three strongest reasons AGAINST it, as fairly as you can.
- Could you change the rule so it keeps the good parts of both sides?
Lawyers, judges and policy makers have to understand the other side's best argument, not just their own.
Also try: Write a family rights charter.
Known for it in
Sweden, Finland, Denmark, UK, New Zealand