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Lesson 53 In the public interest 为了公众的利益 The Scandinavian countries are much admired all over the world fortheir enlightened social policies. Sweden has evolved an excellent system forprotecting the individual citizen from high-handed or incompetent publicofficers. The system has worked so well, that it has been adopted in othercountries too. The Swedes were the first to recognize that public officials like civilservants, police officers, health inspectors or tax-collectors can makemistakes 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 safeguardthe interest of the individual. A parliamentary committee representing allpolitical parties appoints a person who is suitably qualified to investigateprivate grievances against the State. The official title of the person is Justiteombudsman, but theSwedes commonly refer to him as the J. O. or Ombudsman. TheOmbudsman is not subject to political pressure. He investigates complaintslarge and small that come to him from all levels of society. As complaints mustbe made in writing, the Ombudsman receives an average of 1, 200 letters a year.He has eight lawyer assistants to help him and he examines every single letterin detail. There is nothing secretive about the Ombudsmans work, for hiscorrespondence is open to public inspection. If a citizens complaint isjustified, the Ombudsman will act on his behalf. The action he takes variesaccording to the nature of the complaint. He may gently reprimand an officialor even suggest to parliament that a law be altered. The following case is atypical example of the Ombudsmans work. | 
