The Origin, Nature, and Functions of the Civil and Military Ombudsmen in Sweden

As shown by Wennergren and others, the idea of an Ombudsman, or Citizen's Defender, originated in Sweden about a century before the office was created in the constitution. The present article covers the history of this institution from 1809 to the present. As far as is known, the Swedes were not influenced by the experience of classical and medieval governments in establishing an office to guarantee civil rights. Conditions in 1809 demanded that something be done to restrain injustice, maladministration, and other governmental practices offensive to the citizens. The Justitieombudsman and, later, the Militieombudsman (Military Commissioner) are responsible to the Riksdag (parliament), but in their work they have always been independent. The Ombudsman has considerable discretion in handling complaints. He sometimes finds it necessary to recommend changes in the law. In their history of nearly 160 years, these offices have operated to give the citizens confidence that their legitimate grievances will be remedied. At the moment of this writing, the Riksdag is about to make a decision concerning a reform which would combine the JO and the MO into one office with three Ombudsmen.