Number of complaints in the first quarter of 2015

A total of 2128 complaints were received in the first quarter of 2015, which is 102 more than in the same period last year. The number of complaints in the area of public administration has increased– the 1319 complaints received represent an increase of 184 compared to the third quarter of 2014. The percentage of complaints about matters outside the Defender’s mandate delimited by the Public Defender of Rights Act has decreased slightly (809, i.e. 38%, in Q1 2015 compared to 891, i.e. 44%, in Q1 2014).

Of these, a total of 59 complaints claimed unequal treatment by public administration and private entities. The number of complaints directed against discrimination in the sense of the Anti-discrimination Act reached 28. In the area of protection against discrimination, co-operation was provided to international entities and national authorities in a total of 21 cases.

Moreover, 7 systematic visits were made in the framework of the agenda of supervision over restrictions of personal freedom. In connection with the Defender’s activities in the field of monitoring of the detention of foreigners and administrative expulsion, 971 decisions to monitor were submitted. My colleagues monitored the surrender (repatriation) of one foreign national.

In the public administration agenda, most complaints received, 346 in total, were again related to social security, followed by complaints relating to construction proceedings and land-use planning (118), and by complaints relating to the prison system, the police and the army (117).