The Office of the Intelligence Ombudsman was established in 2019. In addition to the Intelligence Ombudsman, the Office of the Intelligence Ombudsman employs a Chief Specialist, a Senior Specialist and an Administrative Assistant.
The Intelligence Ombudsman operates independently. The Ombudsman is appointed by the government for a five-year term. Before deciding on the appointment, the government is required to give the Intelligence Oversight Committee of Parliament the opportunity to state its opinion on the matter.
When the Intelligence Ombudsman is not available, the Chief Specialist employed by the Office of the Intelligence Ombudsman represents the Ombudsman with full powers. The Chief Specialist is appointed by the government after hearing the Intelligence Ombudsman and affording the Intelligence Oversight Committee an opportunity to state its opinion on the appointment.
The Intelligence Ombudsman appoints the other officials working at the Office. All officials employed by the Office of the Intelligence Ombudsman are required to be Finnish citizens, and they are subject to extensive security clearance vetting in the context of national and international information security obligations.
