An ombusman (English plural: conventionally ombudsmen) is an official, usually (but not always) appointed by the government or by parliament, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. In some jurisdictions, the Ombudsman is referred to, at least officially, as the 'Parliamentary Commissioner' (e.g., the West Australian state Ombudsman). The word ombudsman and its specific meaning, Norse in origin, has since been adopted into English as well as other languages, and ombudsmen have been instituted by other governments and organizations such as the European Union.