RNDr. Jitka Seitlová – Deputy of the Public Defender of Rights

In office since February 14th, 2007

Born on April 17, 1954 in Přerov, she is maried. She joined the Civic Democratic Alliance in 1995, independent since 2002.

Having completed her studies at the Faculty of Natural Science of Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Brno (now Masaryk University), she worked at the Faculty as an assistant professor. Between 1980 and 1991 was employed in the Geotest Brno, state enterprise, in environmental protection, research, redevelopment and zoning planning fields. In 1991, she started working as a specialist in the public administration sector of the Ministry of Environment and concurrently conducted seminars on environmental legislation at Palacký University Olomouc. She became regional manager of A.S.A. (Abfall Service Austria) in 1994 and has managed the environmental department at the Přerov District Authority since 1995.

In 1996, she was elected senator for constituency No. 63 (Přerov) for the joint candidacy of ODA and KDU-ČSL. She defended her Senate mandate in the 2002 elections, when nominated by the Independent Movement. Between 2000 and 2004, she also served a mandate as an Olomouc region representative and chaired the environmental committee.

While serving her mandate as a senator, she focused primarily on the environment, citizenship, electoral rights and protection of constitutional rights legislation. She was a rapporteur to over forty laws, mover or part-mover in 12 draft laws and 14 constitutional complaints focused primarily on the protection of human rights. For instance, the institute of a public hearing was introduced at her initiative in the Czech Parliament’s system of proceedings along with tools of protection against domestic violence in criminal law.

During the Senate mandate she was:

• 1997-2000 chairperson of a senate caucus
• 1996-2007 vice-chairperson of the Committee on Public Administration, Regional Development and the Environment
• member of the Senate’s Committee on Mandate and Parliamentary Privilege
• 2001-2002 chairperson of the Commission on Election of the Senate
• 2001-2007 representative of the Parliament of the Czech Republic on the Board of Radioactive Waste Repository Authority
• 1997-2001 representative at international proceedings of "group12+" (EU countries) on the UN Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Committee for Sustainable Development
• 2001-2007 member of the delegation of the Parliament of the Czech Republic on ZEU
• since 2001 contact member of the Parliament of the Czech Republic for women’s issues in society
• 2002-2004 chairperson of the Standing Senate Commission on Compatriots Living Abroad
• 2002-2004 member of the Temporary Senate Commission for pro Ascertaining Persons Held, Imprisoned or Otherwise Persecuted for Political Reasons by the Belarusian Regime
• 2007-2010 Member of the Management Board of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

Elected the Deputy of the Public Defender of Rights she resigned her senate mandate.

Current activities

Member of the Management Committee of the Friends of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Czech Republic

Member of the Honorary Board of ČSOP