The ombudsman institution in Hungary is envisaged in the Constitution of 1990. In 1993 The Parliament adopted the Act on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Civil Rights and in 1995 the first Ombudsman and his Deputies were appointed.
The ombudsman is elected by the Parliament with a majority of two thirds of all deputies on the proposal of the President. His term of office is 6 years and he can be re-elected. The mandate of ombudsman is incompatible with any other state, local government, social or political office or mandate. The legal status of the ombudsman is identical as the legal status of the deputy secretary of state.
The parliamentary commissioner for civil rights investigates or imposes an investigation in any case of injured constitutional rights, for which he is informed. The ombudsman may make a motion to the Constitutional Court for the ex post facts examination of the unconstitutionality of a legal rule and for the interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution. In the course of his proceedings he is independent.
The administrative activities are performed by the office of the ombudsman.
The commissioner for civil rights makes an annual report to the Parliament on the experience of his activities - and within the framework thereof, on the situation of the protection of constitutional rights in connection with official proceedings, as well as on the reception of his initiatives, recommendations and on the result thereof. The report is submitted to the Parliament by the end of the first quarter of the calendar year following the subject year and is published in the Hungarian Official Gazette.
The operational costs of the ombudsman and of his office organisation, as well as the number of employees thereof are determined in a special chapter of the state budget.
In Hungary there are specialized ombudsmen that exercise powers in the specific areas of protection of constitutional rights such as the Parliamentary Commissioner for National and Ethnic Minorities Rights and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.
Contact information:
Parliamentary Commissioner for Civil Rights
Address: H-1051 Budapest, Nádor u. 22
Phone: +36-1-475-7100
Fax: +36-1-269-1615
E-mail: panasz@obh.hu
Web site: http://www.obh.hu
OMBUDSMAN
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