The Ombudsperson has addressed a recommendation to the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, calling for the urgent regulation of Regional Legislative Decree 39/2023/A, of 23 November, which establishes support measures for people diagnosed with Machado-Joseph disease. The initiative is the result of analysing complaints submitted by those affected, who denounce the lack of regulation as an obstacle…

The National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (NPM) is publishing the conclusions of visits to places of deprivation of liberty in 2024, continuing to increase the visibility and transparency of its work. In addition to a brief description of the visit, the information published highlights the risk factors and positive…

The Ombudsman’s Office has asked the Secretary of State for Housing to intervene swiftly, with a view to correcting the flaws detected in the application of the compensation mechanism provided for in Decree-Law no. 132/2023, of 27 December, calling for the adoption of measures that guarantee effective and timely access to the compensation due to landlords, and avoid inequalities resulting…

The Ombudsman has submitted a request to the Constitutional Court for a declaration of unconstitutionality, with general binding force, of article 176-C of the Penal Code, which establishes the crime of ‘acts contrary to sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression’. The petition argues that this rule, added by Article 4 of Law 15/2024 of 29 January, does not comply…

The Ombudsman’s Office has received numerous complaints about the Support Programme for More Sustainable Buildings 2023 (PAE+S). Although questions of a very diverse nature have been raised, and several are still being analysed, a first critical point has been identified in the exclusion decisions: the change in the criteria relating to the mandatory presentation of the energy certificate. The programme…

The Ombudsman submitted a request to the Constitutional Court for a declaration of unconstitutionality, with general binding force, of the rules of Law no. 28/2024, of 28 February, which restored Casa do Douro as a public association and approved its statutes. The Ombudsman believes that Article 1 of Law 28/2024, which reinstated Casa do Douro as a public association, and…

The National Prevention Mechanism (MNP), which works under the auspices of the Ombudsman, is today publishing a thematic report [link] on detention conditions and procedures at National Republican Guard (GNR) territorial posts, following visits over the last two years. The report, which has already been presented to the Guard Inspectorate, outlines the MNP’s main concerns about material conditions and detention…

The Ombudsman has made a recommendation to the Tax and Customs Authority (AT), urging it to review its current interpretation of Article 2(2) of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Code, with regard to the provision of wastewater sanitation services. According to the AT’s position, VAT is not levied on the provision of these services by public entities, unlike if they…

The Ombudsperson has recommended that the Minister of Justice ensure that the Institute for Financial Management and Justice Equipment (IGFEJ) adopts appropriate practices in the face of requests to hide personal data in insolvency proceedings. The law stipulates that access by third parties to data from insolvency proceedings available on the Citius Portal ceases when the proceedings are archived and…

The Ombudsperson, Maria Lúcia Amaral, has recommended that the government urgently update the calculation of capital compensation awarded to workers who have suffered an accident at work or occupational disease, so that it reflects both current average life expectancy and interest rates. These two indicators, which are part of determining the amount to be paid, are far out of date,…