FRANCE | Jacques Toubon has been elected as the new Ombudman of the Ombudsman-Institution «Le Défenseur des droits»

Jacques Toubon has been elected as the new Ombudman of the French Ombudsman-Institution «Le Défenseur des droits» for a six year- and non-renewable term on 16th of July 2014. His nomination follows an approval by the National Assembly and the Senate.

Jacques Toubon was born on 21st of June 1941 in Nice. He holds a degree in public law of the «Institut d'études politiques de Lyon et de l'École nationale d'administration (ENA)». The recently elected Ombudsman initiated his career at the Ministry of Overseas Territories, before becoming a member of the cabinet of Jacques Chirac, followed by several posts at the Ministry for Relations with the Parliament, the Ministy of Agriculture, the Ministry of the Interior and the "Matignon" (the Prime Minister's office).

As elected deputy of the city of Paris, he managed the mayor's office of the 13th district from 1983 to 2001. In 1993, Jacques Toubon followed Jack Lang as federal Minister of Culture and he was nominated as Minister of Justice in 1995.

From 2004 to 2009, Jacques Toubon served as a member of the European Parliament in Brussels.