Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Latvia
Ombudsman
Ombudsman Mr Juris Jansons is the Head of institution; Ms Ineta Pilane is Deputy Ombudsman and Head of Civil and Political Rights Division dealing with police complaints.
“Rights are nothing abstract, you can encounter them in everyday situations of your life. Everybody shares rights and duties at the same time. And one of these rights that belong to each is human rights. In Latvia exists and works an independent human rights institution, the Ombudsman, where to go, when your human rights have been injured.”
Ombudsman of the Republic of Latvia,
Juris Jansons.
Organisation
The Ombudsman’s Office was created when Ombudsman Law came into force – 1 January 2007.
The work of the Ombudsman Office is organized in three main or legal divisions and three assisting divisions:
• Civil and Political Rights Division;
• Social, Economic and Cultural Rights Division;
• Children’s Rights Division;
• Administrative Division;
• Prevention Unit;
• Communication and International Cooperation Division
More about structure and functions on the website:
http://www.tiesibsargs.lv/en/pages/about-us/ombudsman-office/functions
http://www.tiesibsargs.lv/en/pages/about-us/ombudsman-office/structure
Missions
The Ombudsman shall have the following functions :
1) to promote the protection of the human rights of a private individual;
2) to promote the compliance with the principles of equal treatment and prevention of any kind of discrimination;
3) to evaluate and promote the compliance with the principles of good administration in the State administration;
4) to discover deficiencies in the legislation and the application thereof regarding the issues related to the observance of human rights and the principle of good administration, as well as to promote the rectification of such deficiencies; and
5) to promote the public awareness and understanding of human rights, of the mechanisms for the protection of such rights and the activities of the Ombudsman.
Powers
Rights of the Ombudsman :
1) to request and receive from institutions documents (administrative acts, procedural decisions, letters), explanations and other information;
2) to visit institutions in order to obtain the necessary information;
3) at any time and without a special permit to visit closed-type institutions;
4) to hear the opinion of a child without the presence of his or her parents, guardians, employees of educational or child care and instructional institutions, if the child so wishes;
5) to request documents, explanations and other information from any private individual regarding the issues of fundamental importance;
6) to initiate a verification procedure on their own initiative;
7) to request and receive opinions of specialists in a verification procedure;
8) to submit an application regarding the initiation of proceedings in the Constitutional Court;
9) to defend the rights and interests of a private individual in court, if that is necessary in the public interest;
10) to apply to a court in such civil cases, where the nature of the action is related to a violation of the prohibition of differential treatment;
11) on the basis of the materials at their disposal, to consult other competent institutions in order to decide the issue regarding the initiation of proceedings
Contact
Email : tiesibsargs@tiesibsargs.lv
Téléphone : +371 67686768
Website : http://www.tiesibsargs.lv/en