Newsletter 14-19 December 2016
MAIN MATTERS
Journalists’ access to information in the Sejm
The Constitution guarantees to citizens access to public information, including access to documents and to sessions of collegiate bodies of public authorities elected in general elections, with the possibility of sound and video recording, reminded Adam Bodnar after the Parliament announced the limitation of journalists’ access to the Sejm [more]. In his intervention to the Speaker of the Sejm, dated 19 December, the Commissioner indicated specific Polish constitutional standards relating to the right to information and the freedom of the media [more]. The CHR’s recent statements for the media can be found at: https://www.rpo.gov.pl/pl/content/rpo-w-mediach
„Do you have a problem with a loan in Swiss francs? Find out what you can do” – a joint information action of the CHR and the Financial Ombudsman
Starting from January 2017, the Commissioner for Human Rights and the Financial Ombudsman shall carry out a joint information action in nine Polish cities: Bydgoszcz, Częstochowa, Gdańsk, Katowice, Kielce, Lublin, Słupsk, Szczecin and Wrocław. The first meeting will be held in Wrocław on 13 January. Residents of Warsaw can seek information directly from the Financial Ombudsman. Details and dates of individual meetings are available at rpo.gov.pl
THE COMMISSIONER ON CITIZENS’ ISSUES
The National Preventive Mechanism to visit privately owned nursing homes. The NPM experts have discussed the details [more].
Will Warsaw residents be able to freely access the Natolin Park area? The CHR intervenes before the Ministry of the Treasury [more].
Why are gifts to foster family members not exempt from the gift tax? [more].
What type of medical care is guaranteed to persons suffering from obesity? The Commissioner writes to the Minister of Health and the President of the National Health Fund [more].
The Commissioner intervenes in the case of hate speech at the march in Przemyśl [more].
Expansion of the Opole city borders: the issue of the language of national minorities from the municipalities included into the city. The CHR writes to the Prime Minister [more].
LEGISLATION
A chance to improve the situation of Warsaw inhabitants required to pay high compensations for building space use without a legal title. The Commissioner has filed a complaint to the Regional Administrative Court in Warsaw [more].
The Commissioner is of the opinion that the principles of seeking compensation for damages caused by the construction of nuclear facilities should be changed [more].
Are the police required to give people’s personal identification numbers (PESEL) to the Poltransplant Transplantation Coordination Centre? The Commissioner takes steps to explain the issue [more].
The Supreme Administrative Court: a passenger plane pilot may file, with an administrative court, a complaint against information prohibiting access to airport’s security restricted area due to negative circumstances [more].
How to better protect children whose mothers use psychoactive drugs during pregnancy? [more].
May the municipal council arbitrarily lower the mayor’s salary? The CHR writes to the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy [more].
THE CHRONICLE
Experts of the Committee for Homelessness Prevention have discussed related local initiatives
- Today, we want to consider how to best use the positive local examples of solving problems of persons affected by homelessness. The idea is not only to develop assistance procedures, but also to ensure they are available everywhere, not only in selected locations. Polish cities have a large potential in this area, as confirmed by your actions. This potential needs to be appropriately used. Also, good cooperation should be ensured, for example between local governments and non-governmental organizations, said Adam Bodnar in his opening speech at the meeting of the Expert Committee for Homelessness Prevention [more].
Primary school pupils have talked with the CHR
Human rights and the fight against hate speech were the topics discussed by Adam Bodnar with pupils from the Varsovia Non-Public Primary School no. 49 in Warsaw and the J. Gardecki Primary School in Warsaw.
Key problems of persons deprived of liberty have been discussed by CHR Office employees with the National Penitentiary Administration [more].
Important!
The website rpo.gov.pl contains a calendar of the upcoming meetings with the Commissioner for Human Rights and of events held under his patronage.
Information about the Commissioner’s work on cases relating to citizens’ issues is available under the “What we do” tab. An interactive map indicates cases in which the Commissioner has intervened.