​​Sale a 140 il numero dei comuni trentini convenzionati con il difensore civico della provincia. L’avvocato Giacomo Bernardi, eletto nel ruolo dal Consiglio provinciale il 10 dicembre scorso, ha raccolto stamane le firme di Eleonora Bottamedi e Daniela Campestrin, rispettivamente sindache dei comuni di Andalo e Torcegno.

La sottoscrizione è avvenuta in presenza del Presidente del Consiglio provinciale Claudio Soini che ha sottolineato l’importanza del ruolo del difensore civico e dell’eccezionale opportunità di avvalersi di un servizio gratuito a beneficio dei cittadini e delle amministrazioni pubbliche. Un servizio prezioso, ha aggiunto Bernardi, svolto nell’ottica della mediazione e del confronto, per superare o placare contenziosi, nell’interesse della collettività.

Le sindache hanno detto di aver risposto volentieri all’appello alla convezione, lanciato nei mesi scorsi dal difensore civico, nella consapevolezza che il servizio risponda all’interesse delle loro comunità.

Mancano all’appello 26 comuni trentini.

Lors de deux déplacements à Mayotte en 2023 et en 2024, ainsi qu’à l’occasion de l’examen des réclamations que l’institution reçoit et des constats faits par ses délégués sur place, la Défenseure des droits et ses services ont relevé des difficultés dans l’accès et le fonctionnement des services en charge de l’état civil et de l’examen des demandes de nationalité française.
Après une instruction approfondie, la Défenseure des droits publie une décision confirmant de multiples dysfonctionnements et obstacles administratifs qui privent de nombreux habitants de leurs droits et libertés, en méconnaissance du droit national, européen et international.

De graves obstacles à l'accès aux droits

Dans la décision 2025-142 publiée le 1e août 2025, la Défenseure des droits relève des pratiques contraires aux textes en vigueur qui empêchent l'accès effectif aux services publics en charge de l’état civil et de l’examen des demandes de nationalité.

À titre d’exemple en matière d’état civil, la déclaration de naissance et la délivrance de copies d’actes de naissance sont assujetties à la présentation de titres d’identité non prévus par la loi. Par ailleurs, la mention de régularité de séjour, qui devrait être apposée sur les actes de naissance et qui est requise pour l’accès à la nationalité française, est très fréquemment manquante.

Concernant les services de nationalité, plus de 4 600 dossiers en attente au tribunal judiciaire de Mamoudzou dont certaines demandes datant de 2021 sont toujours sans réponse. Les récépissés attestant des demandes ne sont pas délivrés ou sont délivrés tardivement, entravant les droits des demandeurs. Là encore, les demandes sont assujetties à la présentation de pièces non prévues par les textes.

Atteinte au droit au respect de la vie privée et familiale, atteinte à l’intérêt supérieur de l’enfant, entrave à la liberté d’aller et venir et rupture d’égalité devant le service public, la Défenseure des droits conclut à plusieurs violations des droits protégés par la Constitution, la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme et la Convention internationale des droits de l'enfant.

Des conséquences dramatiques pour les usagers

Ces obstacles administratifs sont à l’origine de situations particulièrement préoccupantes :

• Pour les enfants français nés à Mayotte : impossibilité d'obtenir des titres d'identité français, les privant de leurs droits de citoyens ;
• Pour les bénéficiaires de la protection internationale (réfugiés notamment) : refus de reconnaissance de leurs documents provisoires légalement valides ;
• Pour les personnes nées à Mayotte : cercle vicieux les empêchant d'accéder à leurs droits, faute de pouvoir justifier de leur identité.

De nouvelles recommandations pour rétablir les droits

Dans sa décision, la Défenseure des droits adresse un certain nombre de recommandations aux ministres de la Justice et de l'Intérieur, parmi lesquelles :

• Rappeler les règles légales en matière de justification d'identité et abandonner les exigences non prévues par les textes ;
• Renforcer les moyens humains du service de nationalité du tribunal judiciaire de Mamoudzou ;
• Améliorer l'information des usagers sur leurs droits, notamment via la création d'une rubrique dédiée sur les sites officiels ;
• Garantir le respect des délais légaux et la délivrance systématique des récépissés ;
• Établir des statistiques précises sur les délais de traitement des demandes concernant les rectifications des actes d’état civil des personnes placées sous la protection de l’OFPRA .

La Défenseure des droits a demandé aux ministres concernés de rendre compte des suites données à ses recommandations dans un délai de 3 mois .

Ces recommandations s’inscrivent dans la continuité de celles formulées en juin dernier dans un avis sur le projet de loi de programmation pour la refondation de Mayotte.

Cette décision est la dernière en date d’une série de décisions relatives à la situation à Mayotte. Plusieurs autres thèmes avaient en effet alerté la Défenseure des droits et donné lieu à des recommandations :

• Gestion de la crise de l’eau à l’automne 2023
• Accès au service public de la justice
• Scolarisation des enfants
• Evacuation et destructions de quartiers d’habitat informels

Care providers across England are being urged to ensure their complaints processes meet basic standards, after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found a medium-sized provider had no procedure when investigating a family’s complaint.

The resident’s son complained Park Homes (UK) Limited applied a 30 per cent increase in fees without notice in April 2023.

Despite the son chasing multiple times, it took the provider – which has care homes across England and Scotland – until August to acknowledge his contact.

The resident died in October 2023, but by March 2024 the provider still had not refunded the fees and so the family could not settle the estate. The family complained to the Ombudsman the same month.

By November the same year, the provider agreed to refund the resident’s account, but this was not paid till the end of January 2025.

The Ombudsman’s investigation was hampered by similar prolonged delays from the provider, and it was not until February 2025 that it sent a substantive response to the Ombudsman’s enquiries, after a witness summons was threatened.

Ms Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“This family experienced poor service at a difficult time, with the loss of their loved one. Our investigation suggests that the provider does not have a proper complaints procedure. I am shocked that a provider of this size does not have something so fundamental as a formal process for managing and responding to people’s concerns.

“Not only is this a potential breach of the Health and Social Care Act regulations, but it demonstrates a lack of desire to listen to residents and their families and take on board the invaluable feedback and learning concerns and complaints can provide.

“This provider needs to take a serious look at the way it manages its complaints process to ensure it complies with the regulations, and with good practice and put in place a proper complaints procedure to respond to people’s concerns.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the provider should apologise to the family and pay them a combined £800 for the stress and frustration caused by its poor complaints response.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes. In this case the provider should review its complaint handling and establish a proper complaint process which should be made freely available to residents and relatives or other interested parties. It should also ensure its processes for increasing fees align with the regulations and Competition and Markets Authority guidance.

Concepción Gimeno pide que se estudie su impacto como método de enseñanza y que se regule su uso para evitar discriminación por razones socioeconómicas entre el alumnado

La justicia de Aragón, Concepción Gimeno, ha emitido una sugerencia dirigida al Departamento de Educación relativa al uso de dispositivos electrónicos en los centros escolares. En primer lugar, se insta a la Consejería a estudiar el impacto que tiene para el alumnado el uso de estos dispositivos como método de enseñanza educativa, al objeto de conocer los efectos y las consecuencias que producen en el desarrollo educativo y personal de los menores.

En segundo y último lugar, la resolución pide que se valore la posibilidad de regular el uso de dispositivos electrónicos en los centros educativos sostenidos con fondos públicos. El objetivo de esta propuesta es dar seguridad jurídica a centros y familias y garantizar un uso adecuado de las tecnologías de la información por parte del alumnado sin que la metodología pueda generar discriminación por razones socioeconómicas entre el alumnado.

La institución del Justicia de Aragón da respuesta con esta sugerencia a varios escritos de queja de diferentes familias mostrando su disconformidad con el hecho de que determinados centros educativos obliguen a adquirir tabletas al alumnado y que estas tengan que ser sufragadas íntegramente por las familias.

En una de las quejas, el ciudadano informa de que más de un tercio de las familias del centro firmaron para que se redujeran las horas de uso de estos dispositivos en el centro y para que no lo tuvieran que comprar los padres. En otra de las quejas, la familia que la ha presentado advierte de la negativa del centro a que se puedan utilizar dispositivos de hermanos mayores o de otras marcas diferentes a la propuesta por el centro.

News and events of the Ombudsman’s Office in July 2025 (information in links mostly available in Latvian).

To-do list for those involved in the educational process

With the new school year approaching, the Ombudsman wished to remind local governments and heads of schools about several issues regarding preparation for the new school year, including provision of school supplies, clear rules regarding the use of smart devices for pupils, especially up to Grade 6, the earliest start time of classes and adult companion in school buses.

Ombudsman replies: Are there any obligations for apartment owners due to house renovation?

People have turned to the Ombudsman’s Office asking whether and what are the obligations of apartment owners when renovating an apartment building in which their property – an apartment – is located? Everything, including the agreement on costs, the progress of works and also the responsibility associated with settlements, is in the hands of apartment owners. If not only savings, but also external funding has been obtained for renovation process then full responsibility for the credit payment rests with all the apartment owners.

Young people who have voluntarily completed the National Defence Service must have clear conditions regarding the possibility of obtaining a budget position in a higher education institution

Young people who have voluntarily served in the National Defence Service must have access to clear and understandable conditions to qualify for a state-funded study places at a university or college. In July, Deputy Ombudsman Ineta Piļāne invited representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education and Science to discuss the current procedure.

Ombudsman replies: Is it permissible not to admit students to vocational school if they have acquired primary education according to special programme?

The Ombudsman’s Office has received a question from a resident, whether a vocational school providing secondary vocational education programmes, may refuse to admit a young person who has acquired primary education according to special programme. The short answer is that there is no legal basis for refusing to admit the pupil, but it should be taken into account that he/she will parallelly  have to study both the profession and secondary education programme.

Ombudsman’s Office conducts research: rotation in the civil service – promotion or punishment?

The Ombudsman’s Office is launching a study on the transfer of civil servants, often referred to as rotation. The complaints received give the impression, prima facie, that rotation of civil servants is being used to deal with uncomfortable officials. Is this the case and how effective is the transfer of officials? The answers to these questions require more research into the problem. Therefore, the Ombudsman’s Office has sent questionnaires – one to state institutions and the other to civil servants and invites replies by 1 September.

Expenses of local governments for the needs of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers must be compensated without delay

The Ombudsman’s Office has approached the Prime Minister with a request to the government to assess as soon as possible how expenses will be compensated to those local governments that provide for the needs of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. The problem is that the workload of some municipal Orphan’s and Custody Courts has increased significantly, but it is still not clear whether and when the state will allocate additional funding. Ropaži municipality currently faces a particular burden.

Rule of Law Report. What is the situation in Latvia?

Rule of law guarantees democracy and citizens’ rights and freedoms; it is one of the fundamental values of the European Union (EU). Although each Member State has their national laws, they must act in accordance with EU requirements to jointly promote the interests of democratic countries and the rights of individuals. For the sixth year in a row, the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) has been inviting participating institutions to report on the situation in their country, focusing on various aspects of human rights and rule of law. The report is an opportunity to see Latvia in relation to other EU countries, to assess aspects where our country manages to implement good practices and where improvements are needed. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for the Ombudsman’s Office to show what the institution has done to strengthen human rights in Latvia.

Documents prepared by the Ombudsman’s Office:

• Ombudsman’s opinion on the action of Riga local government in determining the rent for municipality housing
• Ombudsman’s opinion on the inclusion of mandatory State social insurance contributions in the expenditure of self-employed persons