Alberto Sampaio da Nóvoa. Ombudsman’s Office pays homage to the memory of one of its founders

The Ombudsman’s Office pays a heartfelt and grateful tribute to the memory of Alberto Manuel de Sequeira Leal Sampaio da Nóvoa, recalling the decisive role he played in the founding moment of this State institution for the defense of citizens’ rights. Sampaio da Nóvoa was the author of the project that gave rise to Decree-Law 212/75, which established the creation…

Read more

Ombudsman reiterates warning about inequality in the payment of extraordinary support

Vulnerable families who are part of the convergent social protection scheme are still not receiving the extraordinary support to mitigate the effects of inflation created by Decree-Law 21-A/2023 of 28 March, and the Ombudsman recently renewed her call to the Secretary of State for Public Administration in July for the problem to be resolved. The law establishes that, among others,…

Read more

Ombudsman marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948, the Ombudsman, in her triple capacity as guarantor of citizens’ fundamental rights before the public authorities, National Human Rights Institution and National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture and Ill-Treatment, welcomes and reaffirms the fundamental values enshrined therein,…

Read more

Authentication of documents. Ombudsman’s Office suggests that parish councils offer citizens an alternative to using the white stamp

The Ombudsman’s Office has suggested that parish councils offer citizens an alternative to the use of the white stamp as a means of authenticating certifying documents signed by the respective presidents, namely certificates of residence or economic situation. The recommendation came about following a complaint in which it was found that citizens may find it impossible to use these documents…

Read more

European Parliament elections. Ombudsman heard by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees

The Ombudsman, Maria Lúcia Amaral, attended the hearing requested by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees as part of the specialised discussion of Bill 560/XV (PSD) and the other legislative initiatives under consideration – PPL 91/XV/1 (GOV) and Bill 826/XV/1.ª (PAN) – on the elections to the European Parliament: You can access the video of the hearing…

Read more

Ombudsman requests review of rules in the legal regime governing access to and exercise of the profession of driving examiner and recognition of training bodies

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…

Read more

The detention of migrant children in Portugal – concerns and recommendations

On World Children’s Day, the Ombudsman was represented at the meeting on alternatives to the administrative detention of migrant children in Portugal, organised in Lisbon by IOM – International Organisation for Migration (the United Nations Migration Agency), by the Coordinator of the National Preventive Mechanism, Miguel Feldmann, who presented a communication entitled “The National Preventive Mechanism and the detention of…

Read more

Newsletter
Subscribe and stay updated on the work and initiatives of the Portuguese Ombudsperson