Back-
newly elected Danish Ombudman Niels Fenger
The Danish Parliament, Folketinget, has elected Dr. jur. Niels Fenger as new Parliamentary Ombudsman. He will succeed Mr. Jørgen Steen Sørensen who has taken up an appointment as a Justice of the Danish Supreme Court.
Mr. Niels Fenger comes from a position as High Court judge with the Eastern High Court of Denmark. Previously, he was, among other things, Professor of Administrative Law at the University of Copenhagen and Director of the EFTA Legal Coordination Office in Brussels. The 51-year-old doctor of laws is, in addition, the author of a large number of books and articles on administrative law.
“The Parliamentary Ombudsman is one of the most precious institutions within the Danish rule of law. I am therefore deeply honoured by the trust that Folketinget has shown me in electing me as its new Ombudsman, and I shall do my best to prove myself worthy of that trust,” says Niels Fenger.
“Constructive and forward-looking partner”
The new Ombudsman sees the Ombudsman institution as a safeguard of the legal rights of citizens. He expects that a central task over the coming years will be to monitor that the ever more important digital administration is implemented with respect for citizens’ rights. At the same time, he announces that he will use a constructive approach.
“My aim will be to seek solutions and to help the authorities recognise what they must do better next time. I will therefore continue the present line of not supervising solely via criticism but will endeavour just as much to become a constructive and forward-looking partner in the whole of the public system in order to maintain and further extend the already high protection of the law and respect for citizens that exist in the Danish public administration, “ says Mr. Niels Fenger. He adds that he “will administer the office with focus on those cases which are important to the community and to the individual citizen”.
Mr. Niels Fenger took office as Ombudsman on 1 December 2019, following a brief period with ad hoc Ombudsman Henrik Bloch Andersen as interim Ombudsman.
Source: Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman
