OMBUDSMAN

noun (plural ombudsmen) Etymology: Swedish, literally, representative, from Old Norse umbothsmathr, from umboth commission + mathr man Date: 1959 a government official (as in Sweden or New Zealand) appointed to receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against abuses or capricious acts of public officials, one that investigates reported complaints (as from students or consumers), reports findings, and helps to achieve equitable settlements, ~ship noun