Complaints officers who are not independent of an agency they receive complaints about may not act impartially but rather act to protect the organization. Ombudsmen are independent so they may be impartial. Their findings and decisions are based on examination and analysis of the facts and law. They must be independent and avoid even the appearance of serving the interests of the organizations they investigate if complainants are to trust the results of their investigations. The Ombudsman is also free of functional control by the legislative body.
Legislative control is exercised instead through appointment, re-appointment and removal.
Rigorous selection and other restraints imposed by law ensure that the Ombudsman requires no further control. The office must not appear to serve the agenda of legislative or government leaders. That independence creates credibility for the office among the people, particularly those who complain. The Ombudsman is appointed or confirmed preferably by a super majority of a legislative body or entity other than the one the Ombudsman reviews through a process designed to prevent political appointments. Appointment or confirmation by a super majority ensures that the candidate is one who has wide respect among different political parties and even parties that oppose one another or the government.