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The Ombudsman’s Senior Citizens’ Hotline received 1,239 calls to date this year, with the greatest number of requests for assistance related to health (167). This data may confirm the inversion observed in 2021, when, for the first time in the 23 years of existence of this line dedicated to assisting senior citizens, health questions exceeded those related to social responses,…
The Ombudsperson took part in the commemorations of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, organised by the Syndicate of Greuges in Barcelona on 1 July 2024, presenting the paper “The Portuguese penitentiary system and its monitoring by the National Preventive Mechanism”. NPM coordinator Miguel Feldmann was also present. The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture…
The Ombudsman sent a recommendation to the Minister for Modernization of the State and Public Administration in order to promote inter-ministerial reflection, and consequent re-examination of the legal solutions in force, in relation to the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of age in access to public employment. The recommendation arises in the wake of persistent complaints received from people who…
The Portuguese Postal Service (CTT) is unduly demanding payment of Value Added Tax (VAT) on small-value non-EU remittances between private individuals, concluded the Ombudsman after examining several complaints in this regard. In a recommendation addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of CTT – Correios de Portugal, S.A. and communicated to the Director of Customs Regulation Services of…
The Ombudsperson has sent a Recommendation to the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing to amend the legislation to bring the level of protection afforded to road passengers on par with the higher level afforded to rail passengers. The Recommendation now addressed to the Government is the result of an analysis of a complaint received alleging the unconstitutionality of the rules…
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Endowed with reason and conscience, they should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”Article 1 Universal Declaration of Human Rights On 10 December, the international community celebrates International Human Rights Day, marking the moment of the adoption, by the United Nations General Assembly, of the Universal…
The NPM – National Preventive Mechanism carried out joint visits to places of detention with its UK counterpart in November. The British NPM participated in the visits to the Detention Space at Lisbon Airport and to the Torres Novas prison establishment, and the Portuguese NPM team took part in the inspection of Garth prison, in Lancashire. The joint visits stem…
To mark International Day of the Person with Disability, the Ombudsman presented a brief assessment of the activity developed by the telephone line especially dedicated to supporting these fellow citizens. Throughout 2022, in the period between 1st January and 30th November, the Disabled Citizens’ Line received 502 calls, a number that exceeds the total received in the previous year. Evolution…
The Ombudsman submitted a request to the Constitutional Court for a declaration of unconstitutionality, with general binding force, of rules contained in Law 45/2012, of 29 August, which approves the legal regime for access to and exercise of the profession of driving examiner and the recognition of training bodies. The provisions in question are article 4(b) of the law, according…
The Ombudsman, Maria Lúcia Amaral, was received in audience by the President of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, on July 21, at 11:00 am, following the delivery of the Annual Activity Report and the Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture regarding 2021. Learn more here.