El Defensor del Pueblo andaluz, Jesús Maeztu, ha participado hoy en la ciudad de Pamplona en la V Semana Europea de la Mediación, en un foro organizado por la Mediación Navarra y Matukio con el apoyo de Gobierno de Navarra, en la que ha destacado los nuevos caminos de la mediación, como supone la introducción de esta vía de resolución de conflictos en una Defensoría del pueblo. El Defensor ha agradecido la invitación de la organización y la solicitud del Defensor del Pueblo de Navarra, Patxi Vera.

En la ponencia, el Defensor andaluz ha destacado la experiencia de la mediación como una práctica ya habitual en esta defensoría desde que se implantara hace seis años, con un balance "tremendamente eficaz y positivo". El Defensor ha aclado que la mediación en la Institución se centra en el ámbito administrativo, no en el contencioso administrativo. "Estamos hablando, por tanto, de mediación extrajudicial. Si bien, estamos trabajando en una experiencia piloto para poner en marcha en sede intrajudicial, con juzgados de Huelva y Sevilla, de acuerdo con un convenio suscrito en relación con ello con el Consejo General del Poder Judicial", ha señalado Maeztu.

Estos actos en Pamplona se enmarcan en las celebraciones que se realizan a nivel europeo el día 21 de enero, Día Europeo de la Mediación, coincidiendo con la fecha de aprobación de la Recomendación número R (98)1, sobre Mediación Familiar, aprobada por el Consejo de Europa el 21/01/98.

20 January 2023

The Government has published its response to pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Victims Bill. The Bill aims to reduce barriers for justice by removing the requirement that victims of crime must go through an MP to make a complaint about a public body.

Ombudsman Rob Behrens says:

“Having to go through an MP to make a complaint about public bodies is an additional hurdle for those wanting justice. I welcome the Government’s commitment to seeking to reduce such barriers for victims of crime by removing this requirement.

"I would like to see the Government go one step further and make the MP filter optional for all complaints about public services, bringing us in line with other modern democracies across the world."

The Protector of Citizens launched a control investigation into the legality and regularity of work of the General Hospital "Dr. Laza K. Lazarevic" in Šabac and the Ministry of Health, after learning from the media that a newborn died at the University Children's Clinic in Tiršova Street in Belgrade on 10 January, after an emergency transport from the maternity ward of the General Hospital "Dr. Laza K. Lazarevic" in Šabac due to breathing problems.

The baby's father expressed his suspicion on social networks that the child's death was due to doctors' negligence, and the media reported the announcement of the Minister of Health that on 16 January 2023, an emergency inspection of the entire case will be conducted. The Šabac hospital indicated that a commission has already been formed that will carry out an internal check of the quality of professional work.

The Protector of Citizens asked the Ministry of Health to inform him of all the facts and circumstances relevant to the adoption of a position on this case within 15 days from the date of receipt of this document, and in particular, to submit the data on the results of the extraordinary inspection of the work of the General Hospital "Dr. Laza K. Lazarevic" in Šabac, which was announced.

It is also necessary for the General Hospital "Dr. Laza K. Lazarevic" in Šabac to submit data on the conducted internal quality control of professional work, no later than 15 days from the date of receipt of this document.

In addition, the Protector of Citizens asked the hospital and the Ministry of Health to inform him how patient satisfaction is monitored and analyzed in the maternity hospital in Šabac, and whether women giving birth have the opportunity to rate their satisfaction with the actions of the medical staff towards them and in what way.

Standards investigations by councils into the actions of councillors need to be conducted fairly and properly, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.

The warning comes after the Ombudsman was asked to look at the way Teignbridge District Council investigated the actions of a councillor, Cllr Daws, after the council alleged he had acted contrary to its Code of Conduct.

The Ombudsman found fault with a number of aspects of the council’s investigation. It found the investigation was not prompted by a formal written complaint, contrary to the law. The council also did not give the councillor enough information about his alleged breaches of its Code.

The council introduced new allegations during the process, but the independent investigator appointed to look at the case did not make it clear to Cllr Daws whether these were part of the investigation.

The Ombudsman also found that the inquiry into Cllr Daws’ conduct was conflated with accusations levelled at another councillor who was also being investigated at the same time.

The council failed to reflect on the investigation and consider whether due process had been followed after Cllr Daws raised legitimate concerns about the way the investigation was being carried out. It also failed to consider Cllr Daws’ enhanced right to free speech as an elected representative, which was relevant when the council considered his justification for certain comments he acknowledged making or posted on social media.

The Ombudsman has made a number of recommendations to improve the council’s processes following the investigation, but the council has not yet agreed to accept these.

Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“Local councillors have a key role in scrutinising their authorities’ actions, and have an enhanced right of free speech to ask what might at times appear to be uncomfortable questions. Councils need to bear this in mind when deciding what constitutes a breach of their Code of Conduct.

“While both officers and members have a right to be treated with dignity and respect at work, and councils’ desire to do more to protect them from poor treatment is to be encouraged, they still need to carry out investigations into councillor standards fairly and properly.

“I look forward to the council considering my report at a senior decision-making level and hope it accepts the recommendations I have made to improve its processes and procedures.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s role is to remedy injustice and share learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council should apologise to Cllr Daws and rescind its decision notice upholding the complaint the councillor breached the Code of Conduct and ensure this is no longer available on its website. It should be replaced with a statement saying the notice has been withdrawn.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council should ensure it has a written procedure for officers and independent investigators asked to consider standards complaints.

The Ombudsman can investigate complaints from locally elected councillors where they allege they have suffered a personal injustice because of actions taken by a body in the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. This is because where a councillor makes a complaint of this type, they are not doing so on behalf of the council or another public body, but in their own personal capacity. They are also not an employee, governed by a personnel relationship with a council, where there are legal limits on what the Ombudsman can investigate.

Article date: 19 January 2023

El síndic de Greuges, Ángel Luna, ha recomendado tanto aConselleria de Política Territorial, Obras Públicas y Movilidad como a su empresa pública Ferrocarriles de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV)que incrementenlas inspecciones de los servicios que presta Ferrocarrils e implanten los mecanismos necesarios para garantizar el cumplimiento de la normativa de seguridad y accesibilidad en sus instalaciones, concretamente en el ascensor de la parada de Ángel Guimerà de Valencia.

La intervención del defensor del pueblo valenciano en este asunto se inició tras la queja de una usuaria que manifestaba la inactividad de Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat ante los fallos «excesivamente frecuente» del ascensor de la parada «Ángel Guimerà» en Valencia, así como la falta de respuesta por parte de la Conselleria de Política Territorial, Obras Públicas y Movilidad ante las denuncias presentadas por tales hechos.

Tras la petición de informe del Síndic, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat comunicó a la institución que las instalaciones de esta estación son de hace más de 20 años y que por tanto no resulta de aplicación lo dispuesto en la Ley 9/2009, de 20 de noviembre, de accesibilidad universal al sistema de transportes de la Comunitat Valenciana. Es decir, según FGV la citada norma hace referencia a nuevas instalaciones y no a las que se encontraran en servicio con anterioridad a la entrada en vigor de la misma.

El Síndic, por su parte, no comparte el posicionamiento de la administración. Luna recuerda que la disposición transitoria de dicha ley obliga a adaptar las instalaciones preexistentes a la entrada en vigor de la misma en unos plazos más que excedidos. En su resolución, el defensor también cita la Orden 2/2021, de 16 de marzo, de la Conselleria de Política Territorial, Obras Públicas y Movilidad, que dispone las funciones del Servicio de Transporte Ferroviario y Logística, entre las que se encuentra: «Fomentar y realizar el seguimiento del cumplimiento de la legislación vigente en materia de accesibilidad y movilidad en las actuaciones de carácter ferroviario en el ámbito de la Comunitat Valenciana».

Por todo ello, el Síndic considera que la respuesta facilitada por FGV en este supuesto no se ajusta a los estándares de calidad exigibles a la entidad FGV ni supone la adopción de medidas correctoras concretas para solventar la situación denunciada por la usuaria, lo que «afecta gravemente a la calidad en la prestación del servicio de transporte público».

Aquí puedes consultar la resolución íntegra del Síndic sobre este asunto:  11895015.pdf (elsindic.com)