Paula Sussex has been appointed Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) by His Majesty King Charles.

Paula, a graduate of the London Business School and a trained barrister, will take up the role from 1 August 2025.

Arrangements are now in place, meaning all casework can progress as normal.

She joins PHSO from the financial technology firm OneID where she has been CEO since 2023.

Paula was CEO at the Student Loans Company from 2018 to 2022, and the Charity Commission, from 2014 to 2017.

She has extensive leadership experience, particularly in delivering major transformation and change programmes and services in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

She was awarded a CBE in 2022 for services to higher education.

Paula said:

“PHSO delivers an important service by both providing transparency and justice for people who have been let down by public service failings and also holding those responsible to account. It also has a unique opportunity to play an active role in the improvement of public service.

“A priority for me therefore as Ombudsman is to focus on the key themes where PHSO’s investigations and recommendations can have the greatest impact. By harnessing the insights we provide, we can help address underlying systemic challenges that affect many people who use public services.

“I am immensely honoured to be appointed as the new Ombudsman. I would like to thank Rebecca Hilsenrath for her excellent work as interim Ombudsman. I look forward to working together to build on the good work that has already been done, and to lead PHSO into the next chapter as we continue to strive for excellence.”

Rebecca Hilsenrath KC (Hon), Chief Executive of PHSO, said:

 “I am delighted that Paula has been appointed and look forward very much to working closely with her. I am confident that our new partnership, together with the rest of the team, will provide the right leadership to support those who have been let down by public services, while driving forward systemic changes for the benefit of all.”

This week, the Parliament of Georgia began an accelerated consideration of a package of amendments to the Organic Law of Georgia on Common Courts and its accompanying draft laws.

The submitted legislative amendments concern important issues such as coverage of court hearings, rules for staffing the High Council of Justice and judges' business trips, availability of judicial acts as public information, and a number of other fundamental issues related to the functioning of the judiciary.

It is worth noting that the accelerated consideration of the legislative amendments does not provide for the possibility of full inclusion and participation in it, which significantly harms the legislative process.

Unfortunately, the amendments introduced in the Parliament remove important guarantees that ensure the public nature of court proceedings, which will significantly worsen the transparency of justice in the country, as well as the media's access to the process of administration of justice. According to the draft law, the principle of publicness established today will be substantially changed, and instead of openness, prohibition will become the main rule.

The draft law brings back the regulation in force in Georgia from 2007 to 2013, according to which photography, filming, video recording and broadcasting in court, as well as during the consideration of cases in the courtroom, were prohibited, except in cases when this was carried out by the court or persons authorized by the court.

It is noteworthy that such a practice was severely criticized by the Public Defender in the 2007 parliamentary report.[1]

The Public Defender of Georgia calls on the Parliament not to consider the aforementioned legislative package in an expedited manner and to consider these amendments in accordance with the general procedure established by the Rules of Procedure of Georgia.

The Public Defender of Georgia has prepared a special report “Artificial Intelligence as a Threat of Negative Impact on the Protection of Human Rights.”

The report reviews the essence, characteristics and international regulation of artificial intelligence, analyzes the national context and presents the results of the examination of the use of artificial intelligence in public institutions. The analysis of the practice of artificial intelligence in public institutions is based on the analysis of data received from 77 institutions and identifies institutions that use artificial intelligence products in various forms.

Considering the risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence in public administration, the Public Defender recommends that the Government of Georgia formulate a vision and take effective steps to regulate this issue in a timely manner.

A government that truly serves its citizens makes plans that are realistic and feasible. Cabinet plans should never lead to unrealistic or unlawful plans for which others would get the blame if and when things go wrong. That is what the Ombudsmen write in their 2024 Annual Report. They are critical of the outgoing Cabinet that had said that it would look at all possibilities. “We saw a government that ignored signals, advice and rights and thus systematically sidetracked groups of citizens.”

In 2024, 27.000 citizens, children and veterans contacted the National Ombudsman, Ombudsman for Children or Ombudsman for Veterans for help. This is an increase compared to the previous year. Many of the complaints could have been prevented if the government had listened to signals from society sooner.

Involve those who are affected

This is why the Ombudsmen called on public authorities to: listen to citizens and involve them in the process of making laws and regulations. This also applies to administering agencies. Their knowledge of what works in practice is underutilised. This results in policies that affect people but did not involve them in their development.

Examples are school transport that does not meet the needs of children with disabilities or municipalities that label emotional citizens as being ‘aggressive’ and break contact with them without investigating the reason for their behaviour. In addition, advice from institutions that should protect the state under the rule of law are not taken seriously. This is the case with new asylum legislation, for example, which resulted in improper governance.

Reinier van Zutphen, National Ombudsman: “If signals from society, administering agencies and supervisory institutions are not heard or are deliberately ignored, citizens will pay the price. The state under the rule of law does not protect itself. It requires a government that listens systematically and makes well-considered decisions.”

More to impress than for the good of citizens

According to the Ombudsmen, actually helping people does not appear to be a priority in political debate. “Bills, motions and amendments are designed more to impress than for the good of citizens. Unrealistic promises create wariness and undermine trust and confidence in the government, particularly among the people for whom the plans were intended.”

There are plans to improve the accessibility of services, for instance, but long-term investments in administering agencies and municipalities are lacking. And although generous compensation was promised to those affected by the benefits scandal, parents have now been waiting an average of 78 weeks for a response to their objection. There is still no solution for tens of thousands of parents.

Acknowledge mistakes and fix them

The Ombudsmen acknowledge that the government will never be flawless. But when things go wrong, citizens should have the confidence that the government will acknowledge and rectify the problem. Yet this often still goes wrong. In 2024, the National Ombudsman published his third report on Q fever patients. These patients are still waiting for apologies, recognition and help. 15 years on and despite repeated requests by the Ombudsman, apologies have still not been received.

But there are also good examples. The Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (Education Executive Agency of the Netherlands, DUO) acknowledged that an algorithm had discriminated against students with a migrant background when checking their eligibility for student grants. DUO apologised and is working on financial compensation for the affected students. So it is possible to treat people fairly. “Attaining your rights is not something that you first have to earn. Nor is it something that you only get once things have gone wrong”, write the Ombudsmen. “The government must always treat everyone in a proper manner. Even in cases where it is not a matter of moral or other guilt, or recovery.”

‘Deafening silence’

For the second consecutive year, the National Ombudsman is presenting its Annual Report to the House of Representatives during a caretaker period. While people are desperate for solutions, the Cabinet is standing on the sideline and politicians look on. Four years ago, Van Zutphen spoke of a caretaker silence after the fall of the Rutte III Cabinet. His opinion now is harsher: “It has been truly deafeningly quiet over the past two years.”

According to the Ombudsman, the government has been letting people muddle along. “The benefits scandal is never-ending, reinforcements in Groningen have been delayed by four years and fuel poverty is being combated with emergency funds. There are no long-term solutions even though people are entitled to fair and effective governance.” Van Zutphen calls on politicians to: “Listen to what people need, be honest about what the government can and cannot do, and above all: do what you promise. It is time to take responsibility and act for the citizens of today and for future generations.

Bijlagen

Annual report 2024(pdf, 7.04 MB)

The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Joseph Zammit McKeon, is participating in the official celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Advocate (Ombudsman) of Albania. The events are being hosted in Tirana by the Ombudsman of Albania, Ms Erinda Ballanca, and include a high-level international conference under the theme “National and International Structures to Protect Human Rights: Good Practices and Lessons Learned.”

The Ombudsman is his capacity as a Director on the European Regional Board of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) is representing the board. He is also participating as Secretary General and Treasurer of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen (AOM). During the international conference, Judge Zammit McKeon will deliver a speech in the opening session, reflecting on the role of Ombudsman institutions in promoting good governance, the rule of law, and human rights.

The celebrations began with a commemorative ceremony at the Palace of the Brigades, the official Presidential Palace of Albania. The event was addressed by the Speaker of the Albanian Parliament, H.E. Elisa Spiropali, and by the People’s Advocate of Albania, Ms Erinda Ballanca. The ceremony served both as a symbolic moment of national reflection and as a reaffirmation of the Ombudsman’s institutional importance in defending democratic values.

Established in 2000 following constitutional reforms in 1998, the People’s Advocate has become a central pillar in Albania’s human rights framework. Over the past 25 years, the institution has played a crucial role in defending the rights and freedoms of individuals, particularly in cases of unlawful or unjust actions by public administration. The Ombudsman of Albania acts both on the basis of individual complaints and on his or her own initiative, with the consent of the person concerned, in cases of systemic concern or media-reported incidents.

The anniversary programme includes an international conference that has drawn participation from representatives of constitutional and governmental institutions, ombudsman offices across Europe and the Mediterranean, human rights organisations, and international bodies. The event provides a valuable forum for peer exchange, institutional reflection, and the identification of shared challenges and best practices across jurisdictions.