André Marin

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André Marin, born January 12, 1965, was appointed to a five-year term as Ontario’s 6th Ombudsman in April 2005. His motto: Ontario’s Watchdog. His mission: to support the need for accountability, transparency and oversight in the provision of government services.

Mr. Marin brings to his role his experience from 1998 to 2005 as Canada’s first Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces, and from 1996 to 1998 as the Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Ontario. A former Assistant Crown Attorney, Mr. Marin graduated Magna Cum Laude with First Class Honours from the University of Ottawa’s Law School. Mr. Marin is the author of The Guide to Investigations and Prosecutions, and a frequently sought after speaker, nationally and internationally, on the issue of accountability of public office holders. It is Mr. Marin who coined the term “rulitis” to describe a government bureaucracy’s slavish adherence to rules at the expense of common sense.

In his first Annual Report as the Ombudsman of Ontario, Mr. Marin outlined how the Office has fallen behind other provinces in Canada when it comes to oversight of what he calls the “MUSH” sector: municipalities, universities, schools, hospitals, children’s aids societies, and long-term care facilities. Since his appointment as Ombudsman, the Office has revitalized and modernized the way it does business. A significant change was the creation of the Special Ombudsman Response Team (SORT), a dedicated team of experienced investigators that conducts investigations into issues that are high-profile, complex, and/or systemic. These investigations have a strong public interest component and affect broad groups of Ontario citizens.