MALTA | A year in office - Reflections on the first year as the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta

Article by Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, Parliamentary Ombudsman

The 8 March 2024 was the anniversary of my first year in office as Parliamentary Ombudsman. As a constitutional body that operates in full autonomy and independence from other institutions of the State, I have made it my mission not only to resolve persons` complaints but also to help improve the public administration’s services—fairly and reasonably.

My arrival at the Office resulted from a long and protracted period of anticipation and discussion. Nonetheless, the constitutional requirement for appointing a minimum two-thirds majority parliamentary vote should remain the case to underscore the vital importance of the Office in this country.  As was the case of my three predecessors, the vote in the House of Representatives in my regard was unanimous. This democratic endorsement legitimises the function of the Office and gives strength and vigour to its commitment to serve.

The experience

At the Office, we are presented with daily narratives that reflect the challenges people face when interacting with government services. The complaints we receive often reveal dissatisfaction and frustration.  We usually resolve these issues through effective communication, like trust-building phone calls and emphasis on empathy, patience, and care. We aim to ensure everyone has fair and just access to our services, balancing the dynamics between individuals and well-resourced public entities.

Taking stock

In order to assess the state of play of the institution, we commissioned two independent surveys targeting the general public and former users of the office. The feedback we received was encouraging and instrumental in helping us shape our direction. The surveys revealed a strong foundation, increased public awareness and recognition of the role of the Office in promoting justice, fairness, and accountability in public services.

Despite these positive indicators, we identified areas that require attention, particularly what the office is there for. While the law is clear that the Ombudsman is there to oversee the performance of the public sector, there remains a common misconception on involvement of the Office in private sector issues.

A better public administration is a must

We have adopted a proactive approach.  We monitor areas of repeated examples of bad public administration in order to point out effective remedies.  Public entities must do their part and do their very best to mend their ways in the interest of the common good. The public administration has to realise that it is there to reach out through convinced action programmes to an increasingly wider spectrum of recipients of its services.  These recipients include the vulnerable, those without a voice, or those who are afraid or sceptical of the services given by the public administration. No one should be taken for granted.  When the public administration treats people that way, it should not blame those same people when they are fiercely critical of that approach that is inconsistent with the essence of democracy.

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Source: Parliamentary Ombudsman, Malta