European citizens place great value on apologies as a way of redressing wrongs. Institutions' apologies must therefore be sincere, full and meaningful. However, when an institution is "sorry", the question arises whether this necessarily implies an admission of fault in connection with the matter to which the word "sorry" relates. In the Ombudsman's view, when presenting apologies, an institution can choose whether or not to admit fault, taking into account the circumstances of the case. Whatever option that institution chooses, an apology does not constitute an admission of legal liability.