Emily O’Reilly was first elected as the European Ombudsman by the European Parliament in 2013 and then re-elected for a five- year mandate in 2014 and again in 2019. She investigates maladministration in the institutions and bodies of the European Union. She was awarded Schwarzkopf Europe Award in 2017 in recognition of her work.
From 2003 until 2013, Ms O’Reilly was Ombudsman and Information Commissioner in Ireland. In 2008 the National University in Ireland conferred her with an Honorary Doctorate in Law and in 2014 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University College Dublin for her commitment as Irish Ombudsman.
As a former journalist Ms O’Reilly’s career attracted significant domestic and international recognition, including a Harvard University Fellowship and multiple national awards. She has written three critically acclaimed books on Irish politics and media and is a current member of the International Advisory Board of Harvard’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism.