In February 2010, the Finnish Ombudsman institution turned 90. To mark the occasion, amongst other things, the Finnish Ombudsman pubished a collection of essays, in Finnish, English and Swedish. They were written by the Ombudsman, Deputy Ombudsman and legal advisors. Some are general, such as Observations on the Ombudsman's powers and Criticism of the Parliamentary Ombudsman-punishment or guidance?. Others are more specific, such as Oversight of Legality in Healthcare and Prisoners' appeals, to name but two. This publication is available online.
The New Zealand Ombudsman's website includes an index of different topics, leading to succint reports on the same. Since Ombudsman institutions in many countries (including Malta) are based on the New Zealand model, and also because the NZ Ombudsman deals with a vast array of topics, including Freedom of Information matters, StateCareAndMore.eu visitors interested in issues related to good governance may be interested in browsing this index.
Writing in the StateCareAndMore.eu was relegated to the 'back seat' of my life for a few weeks, while I attended a number of overseas seminars related to Human Rights and to the OPCAT. On the other hand, these seminars presented their own opportunities, including an opportunity to follow a presentation by the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg. The gentleman is wise and experienced, as is to be expected from the holder of such a position. He also writes brief articles on Human Rights problems in Europe. His publications include Human Rights in Europe: time to honour our pledges (April 2009).
