9 Jørgen Steen Sørensen Parliamentary Ombudsman Ombudsman anno 20121 On 1 February this year, I took up the position of Parliamentary Ombudsman, succeeding Hans Gammeltoft-Hansen, who had made a strong and distinctive mark on the position for a period of 25 years. There is every reason to believe that I will serve for a considerably shorter period, as Parliament is planning a legal amendment whereby an Ombudsman can hold the position for ten years at the most 2. In my opinion, that represents a good balance between the need for, on the one hand, regular replacement and thereby renewal in the position and, on the other, reasonable continuity in the Ombudsman institution itself. The time limitation also acts as an incentive for the Ombudsman to consider what is to characterise the position during the time available, because the Ombudsman is to a large extent expected to set the course of the institution, and of course ombudsmen are different, just like other people. It may be useful to start by considering why there is an ombudsman in Denmark at all. The development of modern Denmark in the later interwar years not only involved sowing the seeds for a welfare society with benefits for the citizens, but also the creation of a strong regulatory power. Over the years, both central and local government were given extensive authority to lay down rules and make decisions which affected the daily lives of ordinary people. It was all intended for the best of society, but as is well known, this is not much comfort for those who feel they have been unfairly treated. To whom would citizens turn when they were not satisfied with the authorities? Of course they could use the normal appeal bodies, but often they were part 1 This article corresponds to a feature article published in the newspaper Politiken on 27 April 2012 entitled ‘Last stage in citizens’ legal protection’. 2 The amendment has now come into force with the passage of Act No. 568 of 18 June 2012 to amend the Parliamentary Ombudsman Act.