The Ombudsman is an independent Officer of Parliament, appointed by the President of the Republic acting in accordance with a resolution of the House of Representatives that is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all Members of the House.
The Ombudsman institution in Malta was set up by the Ombudsman Act (Act No. XXI of 1995, Chapter 385 of the Laws of Malta) enacted on 25 July 1995.
In 2010, the Ombudsman Act was amended by Act XVII of 2010 to provide for the appointment of Commissioners for Administrative Investigations in specialised areas of the public administration. Within the institutional framework of the Office of the Ombudsman, three Commissioners targeting health, environment and planning and education have been appointed. The Commissioners are also Officers of Parliament.
The amendments guarantee full independence and autonomy to the Commissioners in the exercise of their respective powers and functions in the areas falling under their jurisdiction and in the conduct of investigative processes and procedures. They are however for all other purposes integrated in the existing structures of the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
The Act also includes other legal provisions that regulate the work of the Parliamentary Ombudsman
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