“Article 90(2) of the Constitution stipulates that the Ombudsman shall hold office until the age of 65 and that the President may extend the retiring age of the Ombudsman to 70. The SCA reiterates its previous concern that the term of the Ombudsman is not limited.

To promote institutional independence the SCA encourages that a term of office between three and seven years with the option to renew once be provided for in the NHRI’s enabling law.

The SCA encourages the Ombudsman to continue to advocate for amendments to its legal framework to provide for such a fixed-term renewable once for the Ombudsman and the Deputy Ombudsman.

The SCA refers to Paris Principles B.3 and to General Observation 2.2 on ‘Full-time members of an NHRI’.”