Parliament will debate the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, also known as the Hillsborough Law Bill for the first time today. Commenting on this, Paula Sussex, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said:

“The relationship between the citizen and the state is increasingly strained.

 

"Trust is being eroded, public services are facing mounting pressures. It’s a very complex and challenging picture. 

 

"One important reason is that when people complain about poor service, they often feel like nothing will change. Listening to the users of public services and learning from complaints is vital. Complaints are not an annoyance but a powerful force for good. By listening and learning from the failures experienced by users, public services can put things right before they become a major problem in government or the NHS. And we are here to help them do it. Using our complaints data to spot underlying problems that need attention.

 

"But this is more than just doing the right thing. It’s more than fixing things. It is an economic imperative. Significant public monies are spent on compensation.  Last year, the NHS spent £3.6 billion on compensation. The cost of the infected blood scandal will exceed £10 billion. This is not just an issue in health. The compensation paid to Postmasters has so far exceeded £1 billion.

 

"The Duty of Candour can be a defining moment in how our democracy works. It already exists in the NHS. There are brilliant, passionate people who work in our public services. People who day in day out want to improve things to make the country better. But things do go wrong. When they do, accountability and responsibility are vital. The provisions in this bill will go a long way to rebuild that trust between government and people. 

 

"Trust is fragile and restoring it is a long-term effort. Rebuilt not by words, but by actions that show fairness, accountability, and respect for every citizen.” 

On October 28 – October 30, National Human Rights Institutions from Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus gathered in Chisinau to share experiences, discuss challenges and strategies for monitoring, reporting and advocating for the human rights of populations residing in conflict-affected areas.

Millions of people in Europe reside in territories where state authority is either absent or significantly weakened, due to conflict or post-conflict situations. The populations in these areas often face serious and systemic human rights challenges, limited access to justice, and limited access to independent monitoring mechanisms. National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) have a unique capacity to respond to these challenges, yet practical guidance on how they can effectively operate in such complex and challenging environments is scarce and their practical engagement remains limited.

To address this gap, from 28-30 October a roundtable took place in Chișinău, Moldova, co-hosted by the People’s Advocate of the Republic of Moldova, the Danish Institute for Human Rights, and the Council of Europe, in partnership with the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).

The event brought together National Human Rights Institutions from the region to share experiences, discuss challenges, and develop strategies, methods and practices of how human rights monitoring can be strengthened in areas with restricted access or institutional engagement. In addition to NHRIs, a selected number of civil society organizations with practical experience in human rights monitoring in complex settings were invited to share their experiences and foster cross-sectoral dialogue.

Sessions throughout the 2.5-day roundtable covered topics such as the assessment and management of operational and reputational risks for NHRIs working in non-government-controlled territories, and principles for data quality and the adoption of a human rights-based approach to data collection for hard-to-reach populations. Contributions from National Human Rights Institutions of Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia and civil society actors from the region offered valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of working in conflict-affected contexts.

The Regional Roundtable “Human Rights Monitoring in Conflict-Affected Areas” concluded with a strong reaffirmation that human rights protection must persist beyond lines of control. Participants from Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, and Belarus underlined that through dialogue, ethical monitoring, institutional resilience, and regional solidarity, National Human Rights Institutions and their partners can continue to uphold accountability, document truth, and safeguard human dignity – even amid conflict, occupation, and repression.

On November 3, 2025, students of higher education institutions visited the Public Defender's Office of Georgia, met with Public Defender Levan Ioseliani in person and received information about the activities of the Office.

The Public Defender spoke about human rights and the importance of their protection. He introduced students to the mandate of the Office, emphasizing the importance of the educational mandate. In the discussion mode, he discussed special reports, recommendations and amicus curiae opinions developed in various directions. In addition, he stressed the importance of protecting human rights and its impact on the quality of life of the population.

During the question-and-answer mode, students showed interest in the case study process and the legislative foundations that provide guarantees for the Public Defender to act independently. Particular interest was expressed in issues of prevention of femicide, effective implementation of justice and law enforcement functions in femicide cases, as well as the current situation regarding the protection of human rights in penitentiary institutions.

The meeting was held at the initiative of the "New Generation Student Parliament".

Deputy-Ombudsman Maija Sakslin has issued a reprimand to the wellbeing services county for several unlawful actions and negligence in the treatment of elderly spouses and the organisation of their services. A reprimand was also issued to the director responsible for the services for shortcomings in the organisation of home care and to a social worker who had failed to submit a notification of unlawful conduct in accordance with the Act on Supervision of Social Welfare and Health Care. 

Each public official and employee performing a public duty is responsible for ensuring that vulnerable clients receive the services they are legally entitled to. Neglecting this obligation may result in liability for their acts in office.

The Deputy-Ombudsman emphasises that, in order to safeguard the realisation of clients’ fundamental and human rights, shortcomings or negligence must be reported to the supervisory authority or a complaint must be filed about the matter. The obligation to report also applies to situations in which the wellbeing services county does not provide sufficient services.

Numerous mistakes in the processing of matters resulted in the spouses not being provided with the services they were legally entitled to receive at home, and the complainant was repeatedly prevented, with police assistance, from taking their spouse home from the care home.

The Deputy-Ombudsman recommended that the wellbeing services county consider how it can recompense the client and the complainant for the violation of their fundamental rights. 

Deputy-Ombudsman Sakslin’s decision EOAK/6255/2024 has been published (in Finnish) on the Parliamentary Ombudsman's website at www.oikeusasiamies.fi.

Further information is available from Principal Legal Adviser Lotta Hämeen-Anttila, tel. +358 9 432 3353.

Am 29. Oktober 2025 empfing Volksanwalt Bernhard Achitz in seiner Funktion als Generalsekretär des International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) den kürzlich in den IOI-Vorstand gewählten Regionaldirektor und Ombudsmann von Panama, Eduardo Leblanc González, in Wien. Ziel dieses Treffens war es, Erfahrungen auszutauschen und bewährte Verfahren mit Kollegen aus aller Welt zu erörtern.

Achitz gab einen umfassenden Überblick über die Aktivitäten des IOI und die Dienstleistungen, die es seinen Mitgliedern anbietet. Dabei hob er insbesondere die Trainingsinitiativen, die Möglichkeit der Finanzierung für Ombudsman-bezogene Projekte in den IOI-Regionen, sowie die Tatsache hervor, dass das IOI Ombudseinrichtungen, die unter Druck geraten, unterstützen kann und das auch oft tut.

Leblanc González stellte die Arbeit der Ombudseinrichtung Panamas auf internationaler Ebene sowie die Herausforderungen vor, mit denen sie konfrontiert ist. Aktuell gehören dazu beispielsweise die Rechte von Bergleuten, die Rechte von Migrantinnen und Migranten, die das Land durchqueren, oder die Frage der Wasserreservoirs für den Panamakanal und die Umsiedlungen von Dörfern, die zur Realisierung solcher Projekte unumgänglich sind.

Als aktives Mitglied in verschiedenen internationalen Organisationen sucht Leblanc González nach Möglichkeiten, Erfahrungen und bewährte Verfahren mit Kolleginnen und Kollegen aus aller Welt auszutauschen. Die Mitgliedschaft in einer internationalen Organisation wie dem IOI ermöglicht eine solche Vernetzung, den Austausch bewährter Praktiken und gemeinsames Lernen.