Slovenia, Varuh človekovih pravic

Slovenia, Varuh človekovih pravic

Work

From 1 January to 31 December 2000 the ombudsman opened a total of 3,059 complaints (2,352 in 1995, 2,513 in 1996, 2,886 in 1997, 3,448 in 1998 and 3,411 in 1999), which is a 10.3 per cent decrease on 1999.

As in previous years, the largest share of all complaints opened in 2000 referred to the following areas:

court and police procedures: 990 or 32.4 per cent; administrative affairs: 534 or 17.5 per cent; other matters: 508 or 16.6 per of all complaints opened.

The table clearly shows that the number of complaints opened in 2000 increased most substantially in the following areas relative to 1999:

housing matters: from 105 to 116 complaints, which is an increase of as much as 10.5 per cent; social security: from 409 to 432 complaints, which is an increase of as much as 5.6 per cent; and court and police procedures from 946 to 990 complaints, which is a 4.7 per cent increase.

The number of complaints opened in 2000 relative to 1999 decreased most substantially in the following areas:

public services: from 72 to 35 complaints, which is an decrease of as much as 48.6 per cent; other matters: from 711 to 508, which is a 28.6 per cent decrease; and labour relations: from 217 to 157, which is a 27.4 per cent decrease.

Table below shows the number of complaints opened in 2000 by individual area. For the sake of comparison, the table also shows data for individual years for the period between 1995 and 2000.

AREA OF OMBUDSMAN’S WORK	COMPLAINTS OPENED												Index (00/99)
	1995		1996		1997		1998		1999		2000
	Numb	Share	Numb	Share	Numb	Share	Numb	Share	Numb	Share	Numb	Share
1. Constitutional rights	37	1,6%	37	1,5%	43	1,5%	58	1,7%	45	1,3%	35	1,1	77,8
2. Restriction of personal freedom	74	3,1%	145	5,8%	128	4,4%	213	6,4%	174	5,1%	166	5,4	95,4
3. Social security	251	10,7%	302	12,0%	397	13,8%	404	12,1%	409	12,0%	432	14,1	105,6
4. Labour relations	125	5,3%	88	3,5%	138	4,8%	221	6,6%	217	6,4%	157	5,1	72,4
5. Administrative affairs	565	24,0%	521	20,7%	663	23,0%	697	20,8%	635	18,6%	534	17,5	84,1
6. Court and police procedures	478	20,3%	761	30,3%	776	26,9%	881	26,3%	946	27,7%	990	32,4	104,7
7. Environment	61	2,6%	75	3,0%	71	2,5%	56	1,7%	97	2,8%	84	2,7	86,6
8. Public services	27	1,1%	33	1,3%	26	0,9%	37	1,1%	72	2,1%	37	1,2	51,4
9. Housing matters	204	8,7%	141	5,6%	126	4,4%	158	4,7%	105	3,1%	116	3,8	110,5
10. Others	530	22,5%	410	16,3%	518	17,9%	623	18,6%	711	20,8%	508	16,6	71,4
TOTAL	2.352	100%	2.513	100%	2.886	100%	3.448	100 %	3.411	100%	3059	100%	89,7

President's Designate for Ombudsman Rejected by Slovene Parliament

Ombudsman candidate Darja Lavtižar-Bebler, designated by Slovene President Milan Kučan, was rejected by Parliament by 57 votes against 23 on Tuesday, December 19. At least two thirds of the 81 present MPs would have to vote in the candidate's favour for her to become the new ombudsman.

MPs of the Social Democrats of Slovenia, New Slovenia and the Party of Slovene Youth voted against Lavtižar-Bebler as predicted. President Kučan expressed his regrets on Parliament's rejection of the candidate who in his judgement was the most qualified and was thought to have the strongest support in Parliament. The President will repeat the selection of ombudsman candidates in its entirety, was reported from the President's Office.

Lavtižar-Bebler also expressed her regrets and hoped that the next designate would have better chances in the Parliament. Lavtižar-Bebler said she would consider another candidacy if she was asked to do so. In her opinion, the reasons for the rejection of her candidacy lie not in inter-party feuds, but in the fact that it did not persuade the necessary majority of the MPs.

International contacts

On December 9th, the acting ombudsman Mr Aleš Butala met the Commissioner on Human Rights in the Russian Federation Mr Oleg Mironov who came to a two days working visit to Slovenia. The acting ombudsman presented to Mr Mironov the development of the institution of the ombudsman in Slovenia, and described in detail the areas or problems with which people most frequently turn to the ombudsman. He placed particular emphasis on the problem of the lengthy decision-making in court proceedings and certain administrative procedures. Mr Mironov presented the development of the human rights protection institution in Russian Federation and main problems he is dealing with. During his visit in Slovenia Mr Mironov met also the Slovene first Human Rights Ombudsman Mr Ivan Bizjak.

Newsletter No. 23