33.—(1) There shall be an office known as the Prison Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.
(2) The person for the time being holding the office of Prison Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is by that name a corporation sole.
(3) Schedule 3 has effect in relation to the Prison Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (in this Part referred to as “the Ombudsman”).
(4) The Ombudsman shall exercise the powers under this Part in such manner and to such extent as appears to the Ombudsman to be best calculated to secure—
(a)the efficiency, effectiveness and independence of the office of Ombudsman; and
(b)the confidence in the operation of that office of the public, prisoners and prison officers and other persons affected by the exercise of those powers.
34. The main functions of the Ombudsman are—
(a)dealing with complaints (see sections 35 and 36);
(b)investigating deaths in custody (see sections 37 and 38);
(c)carrying out other investigations at the request of the Department (see sections 39 and 40) or on the Ombudsman’s own initiative (see sections 41 and 42).