Defending the defenders: ombudsmen need support

In a true democracy, it is critical that governments can be properly held to account for their actions.

But who do you turn to if the authorities violate your basic human rights or if they simply fail to do their jobs properly?

One option is the courts.

However, this can be expensive and time-consuming. Taking a case to court requires legal assistance and often means following very formal procedures. Furthermore, public trust in the judiciary is not always high.

A sim...