The Ombudsman, Maria Lúcia Amaral, will be heard by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees on 14 September at 4.30pm to present the Annual Activity Report for 2022, including the National Prevention Mechanism Report.

A Calderdale man was left in unsuitable hotel accommodation for too long, because council departments did not work together, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

The man, who had a rapidly-progressing form of dementia, became homeless in October 2021. The council placed him in temporary hotel accommodation while it decided what could be done for him.

However, instead of working together in the man’s best interests, both the housing and adult social care departments decided they could not act until the other had done so.

This lack of joined-up thinking left a vulnerable man without the social care support he needed in unsuitable accommodation for too long. His placement in unsuitable temporary accommodation also played a part in his inability to access much-needed community health services to medicate his dementia.

Because of his growing needs the man was eventually sectioned under the Mental Health Act, and later passed away in hospital.

The man’s sister complained about her brother’s treatment to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman’s investigation criticised the council’s handling of the man’s case.

It found the council did not

• follow up on his capacity assessment and make a ‘best interests’ decision for him
• offer advocacy support to the man
• include the man’s sister in its meetings or decision-making about the man’s situation
• finalise a Care Act assessment

Paul Najsarek, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“In this case Calderdale council showed a clear lack of initiative when trying to help this man – the housing service decided it could not act until a social care assessment had taken place, while the social care department said it could not act until the man was in appropriate housing.

“This meant the man was left in unsuitable accommodation for far too long, with no social support and officers relying on the goodwill of untrained hotel staff to keep tabs on him.

“To its credit, the council has readily accepted our report’s findings and has agreed a host of measures to ensure this situation cannot happen again.”

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 council has agreed to apologise and pay £750 to the man’s sister for the significant distress she experienced.

It will also provide the Ombudsman with evidence of the service improvements it will make, which are aimed at ensuring cases involving both services areas are progressed appropriately and collaboratively.

Article date: 08 September 2023

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha asistido este jueves a la apertura del año judicial que se ha celebrado en la sede del Tribunal Supremo.

Felipe VI ha presidido el acto en el que el fiscal general del Estado, Álvaro García Ortiz, ha presentado la Memoria Anual de la Fiscalía sobre su actividad, la evolución de la criminalidad, la prevención del delito y las reformas convenientes para una mayor eficacia de la Justicia.

Ha cerrado el acto el presidente en funciones del Tribunal Supremo, Francisco Marín Castán, que presentó también la Memoria Anual sobre el estado, funcionamiento y actividades de los juzgados y tribunales de Justicia.

A la apertura del año judicial han asistido, entre otros, el presidente por suplencia del Consejo General del Poder Judicial, Vicente Guilarte, e  integrantes de la Sala de Gobierno del Tribunal Supremo y presidentas/es de los tribunales superiores de Justicia, entre otras autoridades judiciales.

Además, han estado presentes, entre otros, la presidenta del Congreso, Francina Armengol; el presidente del Senado, Pedro Rollán; el presidente del Tribunal Constitucional, Cándido Conde-Pumpido; la ministra de Justicia en funciones, Pilar Llop; la presidenta del Consejo de Estado, Magdalena Valerio; la presidenta del Tribunal de Cuentas, Enriqueta Chicano; el presidente de la Asamblea de Madrid, Enrique Ossorio; el delegado  del Gobierno en Madrid, Francisco Martín; el director de la RAE, Santiago Muñoz Machado, y el presidente del Partido Popular, Alberto Núñez Feijóo.

​​Nel programma della conferenza internazionale dei difensori civici 2023 (Roma, 21-22 settembre) sono previsti anche due interventi trentini: quelli del Difensore civico del Trentino Gianna Morandi e quello della dottoressa Gloria Bertotti, funzionario della struttura del Difensore civico.

La conferenza internazionale dei difensori civici quest’anno si terrà a Roma il 21 e il 22 settembre 2023 presso la Nuova aula dei Gruppi parlamentari di via Campo Marzio 78. “International conference. The role of the ombudsman in the world: between reality and possibility” questo il titolo della due giorni di lavori che vedrà presenti, in qualità di relatrici, anche Gianna Morandi, avvocata e Difensore civico del Trentino nella legislatura in corso e la dottoressa Gloria Bertotti, funzionario della struttura del Difensore civico.

Il loro contributo è previsto in diversi panel (il programma completo è disponibile sul sito del Consiglio provinciale), nelle giornate di giovedì e venerdì. In particolare la prima a prendere la parola sarà la dottoressa Bertotti che interverrà il 21 settembre nella seconda sessione della conferenza, intitolata “Trasformazione digitale” (“Digital transformation”), incentrata su “Internet, diritti fondamentali/Digital divide: il ruolo del Difensore civico” e moderata da Paola Baldovino, Difensore civico del Piemonte.

Il giorno successivo, venerdì 22 settembre, relatrice sarà Gianna Morandi, Difensore civico del Trentino, che prenderà la parola nella quarta sessione del convegno, dedicata a “Il diritto alla salute”, un approfondimento su salute e accesso alle cure e su disabilità e dignità. L’appuntamento è dalle 12.15 alle 13; moderatore sarà Marcello Pecorari, Difensore civico dell’Umbria e vicepresidente del Coordinamento nazionale.

Link: https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2023-09/cp230137en.pdf

Languages available: es de en fr it hu pl pt ro

PRESS RELEASE No 137/23

Luxembourg, 7 September 2023

Judgment of the Court in Case C-216/21 | Asociaţia ‘Forumul Judecătorilor din România’

Rule of law in Romania: the promotion of judges to a higher court, based on an assessment, by members of that court, of their work and conduct, is compatible with EU law

The relevant substantive conditions and procedural rules must, however, be such as to dispel any reasonable doubt as to the independence and the impartiality of the judges concerned, once they have been promoted

In 2019, the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) of Romania approved a reform of the procedure for the promotion of judges to higher courts. The ‘Forum of Judges of Romania’ Association and a private individual are contesting that reform before the Court of Appeal, Ploieşti (Romania).

The applicants in the main proceedings submit that replacing the old written exams with an assessment, by (i) the president and (ii) members of the higher court concerned, of candidates’ work and conduct makes the promotion scheme subjective and discretionary.

The Court of Appeal, Ploieşti, is questioning the Court of Justice as to the compatibility of such a reform with the principle of the independence of judges. 

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