The Office of the Ombudsman marked its 30th Anniversary with the inauguration of the Art for Rights exhibition, held in the House of Representatives in Valletta.

Organised in collaboration with the Institute for the Creative Arts at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), the exhibition features works by eighteen Fine Arts students who explored human rights themes through painting. The event was attended by the students, their families, guests, and foreign delegates participating in the International Ombudsman Conference hosted in Malta.

The exhibition was inaugurated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon. Anglu Farrugia, and the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Joseph Zammit McKeon.

In his address, Judge Zammit McKeon described Art for Rights as an initiative that celebrates both the Office’s legacy and its continuing commitment to good governance and human dignity. He said that visual art provides a platform for young people to engage meaningfully with social issues and human rights, encouraging reflection and dialogue.

“We are here to bear witness to the determination of eighteen students in favour of the promotion and observance of freedom and justice,” the Ombudsman said. “No themes were off-limits. The students were free to interpret human rights in their own way and encouraged to be expressive in their work. Rights are not abstract concepts for lawyers or politicians alone, but living values that young citizens should uphold.”

Judge Zammit McKeon thanked the Principal and lecturers of the MCAST Institute for Creative Arts for their guidance and encouragement, and the students for their commitment and courage in addressing challenging subjects through their art.

The Speaker of the House, the Hon. Anglu Farrugia, welcomed the exhibition as part of the official commemoration of the Ombudsman’s 30th Anniversary. He described the event as a moment of reflection and renewal, coinciding with the opening of the International Ombudsman Conference.

“These exhibits are not mere decoration — they are interpretation,” Speaker Farrugia said. “They remind us that the Ombudsman’s mission, like art itself, is to translate the unseen into the visible, to make heard what is often left unspoken. Their paintings do not merely adorn these halls — they give them voice.”

The Speaker highlighted the vital role of the Ombudsman as “an institutional conscience” that stands between citizen and State, ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability. He emphasised that the defence of rights depends on all institutions—Parliament, government, judiciary, media, and civil society—acting with integrity and courage.

The exhibition will remain open for public viewing in the foyer of Parliament until 3 November 2025.

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha asistido este miércoles 29 de octubre en Valencia al funeral de Estado en memoria de las 237 víctimas mortales de la DANA, coincidiendo con el primer aniversario de la tragedia.

El homenaje laico se ha celebrado en la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, ha sido presidido por los reyes y ha contado además con la presencia del presidente del Gobierno y de ministros.

Durante la ceremonia han tenido un papel relevante los familiares de los fallecidos en Valencia, en Castilla-La Mancha y Andalucía. Así, Andrea Ferrari -hija de una fallecida-, Naiara Chuliá -que perdió a su marido- y Virginia Ortiz, prima de otra de las personas fallecidas en la DANA, han recordado en sus intervenciones a sus seres queridos y han sido portavoces del resto de familiares.

Al acto también han asistido, entre otras autoridades, los presidentes del Congreso y del Senado, la presidenta del Consejo General del Poder Judicial, el presidente de la Generalitat Valenciana, la delegada del Gobierno en Valencia, presidentes autonómicos y alcaldes de los municipios afectados.

La Prima Commissione dell’Assemblea legislativa dell’Umbria, presieduta da Francesco Filipponi, ha approvato all’unanimità il Programma di attività del Difensore Civico regionale per l’anno 2026. Il Presidente Filipponi sarà relatore in Aula per la successiva discussione.

Prima dell’approvazione, la Commissione ha ascoltato in audizione il Difensore civico regionale, l’Avv. Fabrizio Schettini, che ha illustrato le linee guida e gli obiettivi del nuovo programma, sottolineando la necessità di rafforzare il ruolo dell’istituto come strumento di tutela concreta dei cittadini e di mediazione con la Pubblica Amministrazione.

“Il Difensore Civico – ha dichiarato Fabrizio Schettini – deve essere un vero e proprio ponte tra i cittadini e le istituzioni, una figura di garanzia che non parteggia per alcuno, ma che lavora ogni giorno per costruire fiducia e risolvere i conflitti in modo non giurisdizionale. Il programma 2026 intende consolidare questa funzione, rafforzando la rete dei rapporti con gli enti locali e potenziando l’accesso dei cittadini ai servizi di tutela.”

L’approvazione unanime dell’atto conferma il riconoscimento istituzionale del valore della difesa civica come presidio di legalità, imparzialità e ascolto, in linea con l’impegno condiviso dai Difensori civici regionali e nazionali per rendere sempre più efficiente e vicino ai cittadini il sistema delle garanzie.

Le 13 octobre 2025, la Défenseure des droits était invitée à ouvrir la rentrée solennelle de l’École de droit de la Sorbonne par une conférence inaugurale

Après Chantal Arens, alors première présidente de la Cour de cassation, en 2021, Pierre Moscovici, Premier président de la Cour des comptes, en 2023 et Didier Migaud, Garde des Sceaux Ministre de la justice, en 2024, Claire Hédon, était invitée à ouvrir la rentrée solennelle de l’École de droit de la Sorbonne par une conférence inaugurale.

En présence de Madame Christine Neau-Leduc, Présidente de l'Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Madame Anne Rousselet-Pimont et Monsieur Etienne Pataut, codirecteurs de l'Ecole de droit de la Sorbonne, la Défenseure des droits s’est adressée aux étudiants de l’école de droit.

Dans son allocution, Claire Hédon a évoqué les enjeux actuels qui pèsent sur la justice, la fragilisation de l’État de droit et des services publics et a rappelé que le respect de l’égalité et la dignité de tous sont indispensables à la cohésion sociale et que notre démocratie se construit sur le respect des droits de chacun.

Télécharger l'intervention de la Défenseure des droits :

Claire Hédon - Conférence inaugurale de la rentrée solennelle de l’École de droit de la Sorbonne - 13 octobre 2025

On 29 October, Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise and her advisers met with Maarja Krais-Leosk, CEO of the Estonian Chamber of Disabled People, to discuss the Chamber’s petition concerning the right to education for children with special needs.

Together they reaffirmed the understanding that every child in Estonia is valuable, and as a state we must do everything to ensure that children can fully realize their potential, and that bureaucratic obstacles, societal attitudes, and lack of resources do not force children with special needs into home schooling or exclude them from the education system altogether. Maarja Krais-Leosk shared good practices and positive examples of how special needs education has been successfully organized in some places. It was jointly agreed that such commendable examples can serve as a model to improve the accessibility and quality of education elsewhere as well. At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed on the next steps and committed to continue working within their mandates to promote and spread this exemplary message.