Sołtysiak Patrycja, The institution of the ombudsman - origins, concept, characteristics and typology

The institutional model of the ombudsman is largely diversified both in terms of its organizational structure and the competences of the entities established for the purpose of protecting a defined set of values.

When analysing the origins of the institution of the ombudsman, one must have in mind that the first mentions of an office or official appointed to monitor the operations of the state administration bodies, consider the grievances of the subjects, and report those to the ruler may be found as early as 2200 years ago in China. The Han dynasty (206 B.C.–221 A.D.) operated a system of supervision and control over administration, also called the Control Yuan, comprising the institution of an advocate (Yuan), seated in the capital city, and its local branches in individual provinces. Subsequently, the central office was divided into thirteen branches, one of which controlled the remaining ones .

During the rule of the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–904) dynasties, the central...