The functions of the Ombudsman in Slovakia are laid down in the Constitution of the Slovak Republic and in Act No. 564/2001 Coll. on the Public Defender of Rights of December 2001. The Ombudsman is an independent body that protects the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individuals and legal entities. The National Council of the Slovak Republic (Parliament) elects the ombudsman from nominees proposed by at least 15 members of the Parliament.
The term of office of the ombudsman is five years. The same person may be elected for the ombudsman in two subsequent terms of office at most. The public defender of rights must not, alongside the performance of his function, carry out any other paid function, carry on a business nor carry out other gainful activity.
The ombudsman acts upon a complaint of a natural person or legal person or on his own initiative. The public defender of rights monitors the activities of the state administration bodies and local self-government bodies. His competence does not apply to the National Council, the President, the Government, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Control Office, the Intelligence Service, investigators of the Police Corps, the Prosecution and Courts. Nor does his competence apply to matters of operational or mobilization nature.
The public defender of rights submits to the National Council in the first quarter of each year an activity report which contains his findings on observance of the basic rights and freedoms of the natural persons and legal persons by the public administration bodies, and his proposals and recommendations for improvement of the shortcomings if found.
The tasks related to expert, organizational and technical operation of the public defender of right’s activity, are fulfilled by his secretariat. The costs of the activities of the public defender of rights and functioning of the secretariat are provided for from a separate state budgetary chapter. The seat of the public defender of rights is in Bratislava.
Contact information:
Public Defender of Rights
Address: Nevadzova 5, 821 01 Bratislava - Ruzinov
Postal address: P.O. BOX 1, 820 04 Bratislava 24
Phone: 02 / 4828 7239
Fax: 02 / 4828 7203
E-mail: sekretariat@vop.gov.sk
Web site: http://www.vop.gov.sk
OMBUDSMAN
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