The Human Rights Ombudsman of Slovenia Mr. Ivan Bizjak participated at the European regional colloquy AIn our hands, organized from 2-4 September 1998 in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe as a contribution to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1998 review of the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The participants were addressed, among the others, also by Mrs. Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The main topics of the European regional colloquy were Protection and responses to structural or large-scale human rights violations, Social rights: the challenge of indivisibility and interdependence, Effective implementation of women´s rights, Effective protection of the human rights both on the national and international level, and Promotion of human rights; information, education and training. Mr. Bizjak, who was very active in the discussion group on protection of human rights at the national level, raised a lot of interest by pointing out the role of the constitutional court in the field of protection of human rights. Concerning this question he presented the possibility of the Human Rights Ombudsman in Slovenia where may the Ombudsman, in connection with an individual case he is dealing with, lodge an appeal for the assessment of constitutionality and legality of Regulations and other Acts of general specific, issued for the purpose of implementing public authorities. Under conditions provided by the law, the Ombudsman may also lodge a constitutional complaint with the Constitutional Court in relation to an individual case he is dealing with. The constitutional complaint shall be lodged after the previous consent of the person whose human right or fundamental freedom the Ombudsman is protecting in that particular case.

Mr. Bizjak also mentioned in the discussion a very important preventive role that Ombudsman has dealing with the problems which arise with various forms of deprivation or restriction of personal freedom, having in mind especially people in police detention, remand prisoners, convicts serving prison sentences, people with mental disorders detained against their will for treatment. The statement of the Slovene Ombudsman provoked a very vivid discussion.