Prof. Linda Reif with John Walters (L), Ombudsman of Namibia and President of the International Ombudsman Institute and Wayne Lines (R), the Ombudsman of South Australia.
On May 26-27, 2016, University of Alberta Faculty of Law Professor Linda Reif presented at a conference in Belfast hosted by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission entitled Human Rights: A 21st Century Approach to the Work of Ombudsmen.
The conference, attended by more than 100 people, principally ombudspersons, their staff, and government representatives from European countries and beyond, focused on sharing the benefits of a human rights based approach to the role of an ombudsperson. This new approach - which includes a manual for staff and online tools - seeks to empower complainants, frontline services, and investigative staff by applying cutting edge international, regional, and local knowledge in an accessible way.
Professor Reif's presentation - "Building Capacity in the Ombudsman: Issues of Jurisdiction and Accreditation" - discussed jurisdictional and accreditation concerns. Additional presenters included European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly.