Conceptual and Functional Diversity of the Ombudsman Institution: A Classification

This article identifies and examines various types of the ombudsman institution that have evolved over the years, provides a clear and systematic classification of these models, and compares and contrasts them. Relatively recent developments can be better understood if they are also discussed in the light of the past. For this reason at the beginning of this article, the origin, development, and salient features of the original/classical model of the ombudsman institution are briefly discussed. Against this backdrop, the emerging pattern and the salient features of other types or deviant/distorted models of ombudsman offices are examined.