Overview:
National human rights institution in Latvia. Institutionally and functionally independent. We ensure that our society in Latvia becomes more aware about human rights (including children rights) and their protection mechanisms, as well as about good governance.
Brief history
The activities of the Ombudsman are regulated by the Ombudsman Law, which was adopted by the Parliament (Saeima) on 6 April 2006 and Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Latvia was established in 2007.
Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Latvia is an institutionally and functionally independent, wholesome, autonomous subject of public law that ensures operation of Ombudsman of the Republic of Latvia within the scope of competence stipulated in the Ombudsman Law and other regulatory acts.
Since 16 March 2016 Mr. Juris Jansons is the Ombudsman of the Republic of Latvia for the second term.
Mandate Type
Combined tribunal-type and promotion-type
Litigation power:
- Representing in front of courts
- Bringing proceedings in own name
- Formally deciding on complaints (e.g. decision or recommendation addressed to the parties) Not legally binding
Activities
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activities aimed at supporting vulnerable groups ( e.g. through trainings ) | |||||||||||
| Activities aimed at supporting duty bearers such as employers and service providers (e.g. through trainings, guidance material, practical support, etc.) | |||||||||||
| Communication activities (e.g. awareness raising campaigns) | |||||||||||
| Recommendations on discrimination issues | |||||||||||
| Publications and reports | |||||||||||
| Research projects (including surveys) |
Our institution has a mandate to deal with:
- Violence against women
- UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- Hate crime
- Hate speech
Other statistics:
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of inquiries handled per year (all contact even if not resulting in a formal complaint) | 3601 | 2246 | 10914 | 11645 | 8779 | 9083 | 9937 | 8984 | |||
| Number of cases handled per year (case files opened and processed according to your procedures) | 185 | 355 | 235 | 234 | 161 | 106 | 43 | 57 | |||
| Number of media appearances per year (major newspapers/magazines/websites/blogs, TV + radio channels) - does not include social media | 2074 | 4272 | 3944 | 2041 | 3141 | 6152 | 6484 |
Management
- Single headed equality body (led by director or ombudsman/commissioner)
Additional details
Ombudsman’s Office with the Ombudsman as its head has three legal divisions (children rights, civil and political rights; social, economic and cultural rights ), Administrative division and Communication division.
Procedure for nomination and appointment of management and board
Ombudsman is approved by theParliament of the Republic of Latvia (according to Ombudsman Law, Section 5). Nominations for Ombudsman are made by members of the Saeima. After nomination, members of the Saeima take a vote on the most appropriate candidate.
Other staffs are assigned by Ombudsman and other head positions, for example by Heads of Divisions (according to Labour Law and Ombudsman Law, Section 18).
If there is any other available position in Ombudsman’s Office, usually Office announces a vacancy. It is done with job advertisement (according to the Labour Law, Section 32) and information in our homepage. Advertisiment is published in “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, that is the official publisher of the Republic of Latvia. Advertisement is dated and after the final date, our human resources specialist (Assistant to the Ombudsman) starts job interviews (according to the Labour Law, Section 33). The candidate who is the most appropriate for the vacancy is hired for the work.
Number of staff dealing with equality issues
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 42 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 51 |
Grounds and fields of discrimination covered by the equality body
| Grounds / Fields | Employment | Education | Housing | Social Protection & Healthcare | Goods and Services | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||||
| Gender Identity | ||||||
| Race and Ethnic Origin | ||||||
| Age | ||||||
| Disability | ||||||
| Sexual Orientation | ||||||
| Religion & Belief |
Access to housing is the same as access to services, thus Consumer Rights Protection law is used if particular group, for example, Roma is discriminated in access to housing. Constitution of the Republic of Latvia determines two principles – equality principle and non-discrimination. Non-discrimination principle includes more grounds than any law. If some law does not cover particular ground of discrimination, it is possible to prevent the violation of the prohibition of discrimination by the interpretation of the Constitution.
Mandate covers:
- Public sector
Operating budget in euros
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 592921 | 713158 | 701454 | 1157884 | 1168500 | 1359279 | 1374956 | 1498307 |
We are accountable to
- National Parliament
Full name in English
Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of LatviaFull name in the national language(s):
Latvijas Republikas Tiesībsarga birojsPostal address
Baznicas Street 25, LV-1010, Riga, Latvia