Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:
The Scandinavian countries‘are much admired all over
the world for their enlightened social policies. Sweden has evolved an
excellent system for protecting the individual citizen from high-handed or
incompetent public officers. The system has worked so well that it has been
adopted in other countries like Denmark, Norway, Finland, and New Zealand. Even
Countries with large populations are now seriously considering imitating the
Swedes.
The Swedes were the first to recognize that public
officials like civil servants, police officers, health inspectors or tax
collectors can make mistakes or act over-zealously in the belief that they are
serving the public. As long ago as 1809, the SWEDISH Parliament introduced a
scheme to safeguard the interest of thé individual. A parliamentary committee
representing all political parties appoints a person who is suitably qualified
to investigate private grievances against the State. The official title of the
person is ‘Justiteombudsman,’ but Swedes commonly refer to him as the ‘J.O.’ or
‘Ombudsman.’
The Ombudsman is not subject to political pressure. He
investigates complaints large and small that come to him from all levels of
society.
As complaints must be made in writing, the Ombudsman
receives an average of 1200 letters a year.
He has eight lawyer assistants to help him, and he examines
every single letter in detail. There is nothing secretive about the Ombudsman's
work, for his correspondence is open to public inspection.
If a citizen's complaint is justified, the Ombudsman
will act on his behalf. The action he takes varies according to the nature of
the complaint. He may gently reprimand an official or even suggest’ to
parliament that a law be altered. The following case is a typical example of
the Ombudsman's work.
A foreigner living in a Swedish village wrote to the
Ombudsman complaining that he had been ill- treated by the police in the
district asking him to send a record of the case. There was nothing in the
record to show that the foreigner's complaint was justified and the Chief of
Police stoutly denied the accusation. It was impossible for the Ombudsman to
take action on the complaint, but when he received a similar complaint from
another foreigner in the same village, he immediately sent one of his lawyers
to investigate. The lawyer ascertained that a policeman had indeed dealt
roughly with foreigners on several occasions. The fact that the policeman was
prejudiced against foreigners could not be recorded in the official files. It
was only possible for the Ombudsman to find this out by sending one of his
representative to check the facts on the spot. The policeman in question was severely
reprimanded and was informed that if any further complaints were received
against him, he would be prosecuted. The Ombudsman's prompt action in the
matter at once put an end to an unpleasant practice which might have gone
unnoticed.
1. On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer
the following questions as briefly as possible:
(a) What and when did Sweden introduce to safeguard
the interest of the individual?
(b) Explain in brief the process of electing an
Ombudsman ES
(c) Describe how the Ombudsman deal with the
complaints?
(d) Name the countries which have adopted this
excellent system of Sweden?
