Since BC’s new whistleblowing protection law came into effect in December 2019, current and former provincial government employees have been coming to the Ombudsperson with enquiries, seeking advice, or making disclosures, according to the office’s first public interest disclosure annual report.

On 18 May 2020 the IOI Board of Directors held its annual meeting to identify and discuss projects and priorities for the upcoming membership year. Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, the Board held its annual meeting by electronic means for the first time and despite the challenge of a wide range of different time zones, 15 out of currently 20 Directors joined the videoconference hosted by the Office of IOI President and Ireland Ombudsman Peter Tyndall.

Family members and associates of principals in Victorian government schools continue to be hired without principals properly declaring or managing their conflicts of interest, the Victorian Ombudsman has warned. Tabling her investigations into allegations of nepotism in government schools, Ombudsman Glass said she hoped her report would draw attention to the problem and its consequences.

The National Ombudsman is calling on Government Commissioner Marnix van Rij and State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops to take immediate action to tackle the water problem on Sint Eustatius.

On 17 April 2020, Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Dr. Ákos Kozma paid a visit to the Emergency Centre of the Coronavirus Operational Group at the Ministry of Interior, where the Ombudsman was received by Head of the Emergency Centre Colonel Tibor Lakatos.

The Human Rights Ombudsman has been closely monitoring the coronavirus disease situation in Slovenian and abroad as well as the measures adopted by the state authorities to contain the epidemic and protect the most vulnerable groups of citizens. Many people have also contacted us via email and the toll-free number raising questions and issues.

The Ombudsman’s Office seizes the opportunity to repeatedly call for respect for the principle of proportionality in the interventions of the police and other law enforcement agencies, which in no case and in no way should use the pretext of Covid-19 restrictions (which, moreover, are not respected by themselves), as a reason for the suppression of civil law for peaceful assembly.

‘A call for clarity!’ This is the title of the third joint annual report published by the National Ombudsman, the Ombudsman for Children and the Ombudsman for Veterans, and presented to parliament today by the National Ombudsman, Reinier van Zutphen.