The 2023-24 Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) was tabled in Parliament on October 29, 2024. The Office’s latest Annual Report breaks new ground in two national-level investigations examining conditions of confinement in male stand-alone maximum-security penitentiaries and on the experience of persons serving a life (or indeterminate) sentence in Canada, a sentence that has no end date.

La Defensoría del Pueblo de Panamá presenta ante la Comisión de Gobierno de la Asamblea Nacional un anteproyecto de ley para modificar Ley No. 7 de 5 de febrero de 1997, que crea la Denfensoría con la finalidad de fortalecer su marco jurídico conforme a los estándares internacionales de derechos humanos, las recomendaciones de los órganos de tratados de los cuales Panamá es signataria, y los Principios de París adoptados por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas.

 

Based on Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) data, the number of children with developmental, physical, or mental disabilities placed outside their families rose to 1,243 in 2023. Of these, 176 cases (15%) were housed in adult care facilities, which have been unable to meet the children's social adaptation and peer interaction needs, thus failing to adhere to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Ombudsman Grace Tikambenji Malera has challenged Public Officers in the country to exercise their duties and functions in a proper, fair, just, reasonable and lawful manner; further to accounting for their decisions or actions. Malera made the call in a presentation she made during a webinar organized by the University of Malawi (Unima).

The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, on 24 October announced the completion of a direct investigation operation regarding the enforcement by the Planning Department (“PlanD”) and the Lands Department (“LandsD”) against unauthorised land developments, and made 16 major recommendations for improvement to the two departments.

The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman has released its Ombudsman Report for 2023-24. Kindly click here to access the report.

Le Médiateur du Royaume du Maroc, Monsieur Mohamed BENALILOU, a été élu jeudi 17 octobre 2024, à Québec, au Canada, premier vice-président de l'Association des médiateurs et ombudsmans de la Francophonie, représentant le groupe africain, aux côtés du Médiateur de la Wallonie et de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, de l'Ombudsman de la province du Nouveau-Brunswick au Canada, du Défenseur des droits français et du Médiateur de la République du Bénin, et a ce titre, il a également été élu président du "Comité d'engagement" de ladite association.

On 22 October 2024, the Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier published his 2023/2024 Annual Report which shows more and more people are turning to the Ombudsman for help. “In 2023/24 I completed the highest number of complaints and protected disclosures ever,” Mr Boshier says.