Independence and Ethics Independence, that is, freedom from official interference, is basic to ombudsing. The ombuds' authority presupposes independence from the authorities be supervises. Without such independence, an ombuds would be just another official. But the ombuds' authority presupposes more than actual independence. The public must also see the ombuds as someone independent of' the authorities supervised.
Ethics is therefore important to ombudsing, in at least two ways.
First, ethics is pail of the broad mix of law, equi ty, and humanity, that underlies the ombuds' interventions. Government failure to treat individuals fairly is an ethical failure, whether or not it is also a legal failure. Second, to be effective, the ombuds must be governed by, rather than simply speak for, ethical considerations. Since the ombuds has no formal power to issue binding orders, the office's effectiveness depends on its moral authority. An ombuds guilty of maladministration will have little moral authority.