Parliamentary Ombudsman’s tasks

The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s core task is to monitor and promote the implementation of legality and fundamental and human rights. Some duties that can be considered special duties have formed within the oversight of legality.

Oversight of legality

The Ombudsman oversees the legality of actions taken by the authorities, primarily by investigating complaints received.

Illegalities or shortcomings can also come to the Ombudsman's attention through other channels. In such cases, he can take matters under investigation on his own initiative.

The Ombudsman also conducts on-site investigations in public offices and institutions. He has a special duty to make regular inspection visits to prisons and other institutions, such as psychiatric hospitals, in which persons can be confined against their will. Other places visited are units of the Defence Forces and Border Guard.

In his work, the Ombudsman concentrates on promoting fundamental and human rights. Additionally, when he makes presentations, issues statements or writes articles, he emphasises the importance of these rights in the performance of public tasks and legislative drafting.

Parliamentary Ombudsman’s special duties

The Ombudsman has two special duties under international conventions:

  1. The Ombudsman serves as the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).
  2. The Ombudsman is part of the national mechanism referred to in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In addition, the Ombudsman has adopted some other duties that count as special duties.

At the request of the Constitutional Law Committee, matters concerning the rights of the child are a special duty of the Ombudsman.

Safeguarding the rights of the elderly is part of the comprehensive protection, supervision and promotion of fundamental and human rights by the Ombudsman. The aim is to respect the fundamental and human rights of older people and a decent life throughout one’s life.

Parliament has charged the Parliamentary Ombudsman with the special duty of the oversight of legality of covert intelligence.