The office of the Ombudsman published its 2015 report on systematic visits carried out by the public defender of rights. This report list the risks (ill-treatment of clients) posed by facilities providing care without authorisation (the “unregistered residential social services facilities”) and explain why good co-operation among all governmental authorities is necessary to penalise these facilities.

Federal Corrections Overuses Segregation to Manage Inmates  

 

The Office of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman released its news for July 2015.

In accordance with Article 11(1) of the Law on the Seimas Ombudsmen, the Seimas Ombudsmen submitted the Annual Report on their Activities in 2014. An English summary of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office is now available online.

The Mental Disability Advocacy Center (MDAC), an international human rights organisation based in Budapest, recently completed a 2-year European multi-country research project on access to justice for children with mental disabilities. The project was designed to strengthen access to justice and legal remedies for children with intellectual or psycho-disabilities who have been victims of human rights violations. Summary reports are - among others - available in English and Spanish.

Mrs Sheila Brathwaite is the newly appointed Complaints Commissioner of the Virgin Islands. Mrs. Brathwaite replaces the Territory's first Complaints Commissioner, former Deputy Governor Mr. Elton Georges, who served for some six years.

Queen Margaret University’s MSc Dispute Resolution – the world’s first masters programme aimed specifically at professional and ombudsman complaint handling staff – launched successfully earlier this year.

The Bahrain Ombudsman, the first Independent Ombudsman in the Region, presented his second Annual Report. In the period from 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2015, the Office received 908 complaints and requests for assistance. This is an increase of 375% compared with the previous year's total of 242.