Commissioner for Human Rights

Newsletter Commissioner for Human Rights in Poland 23 April - 3 May 2019

CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY

  • Administration of medicines to children with chronic diseases at preschools - the government is considering the introduction of more precise regulations. (more)
  • Children who are brought up by only one of the parents are in a disadvantaged situation. On the occasion of the Parental Alienation Awareness Day, we have published materials from an international conference on shared parenting. (more)
  • Teenager’s data removed from the register of sexual offenders  - the District Court in Bochnia has taken into account the motion filed by the CHR. (more)
  • How does the government intend to improve the situation in the field of children’s psychiatry? The CHR has sent another letter of intervention to the Minister of Health. (more)

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

  • How is the work on the abolition of the system of incapacitation progressing? – the Commissioner has sent another letter of intervention to the Minister of Justice, calling for the change the current system because full legal incapacitation of a person may be compared to one’s death in view of the law. (more)
  • How to guarantee to a person with a disability the right to legal aid when the person does not request it when appointing a caretaker for him/her? The CHR has requested the Minister of Justice to look into the matter. (more)

EDUCATION

  • Representatives of the CHR did not have the possibility to take part in the so-called round-table meeting held on 26 April 2018. The Commissioner has therefore presented a list of his activities taken with regard to the education sector. (more)
  • The Ministry of Education required the heads of schools to enter, into the Central Education System Register, data on teachers’ absence from work due to the strike. The CHR points out that such processing of data may be inconsistent with the Constitution. (more)
  • Myths and facts about sexuality education, as viewed from the CHR’s perspective. (more)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  • The draft amendment to the act on counteracting domestic violence, that provided for reduced protection of the victims, has been withdrawn and will not be subject to further proceedings, according to the official statement sent to the CHR by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. What is the opinion of the Ministry of Justice ? (more)
  • The CHR has noted with dissatisfaction that on 13 March 2019 municipal councillors of the town of Zakopane refused to adopt a municipal programme for counteracting domestic violence and protecting victims of such violence, for the period 2019-2020. (more)

TENANTS

  • The decision of the Property Restitution Verification Commission does not annul courts’ final judgments on eviction, admits the Ministry of Justice. In the opinion of the Ministry, the municipal authorities have thus to determine whether the tenants are entitled to compensation to be paid by the local government. (more)
  • What is the situation of the owner of an apartment bought in the open market but in a building whose restitution was annulled by the Property Restitution Commission? For how long may the Commission be blocking court proceedings concerning a tenant of a building with regard to which it is not yet certain that restitution-related irregularities have taken place? The CHR has reported further two problems to the Minister of Justice. (more)
  • A citizen who has refused to accept a council flat offered by the municipality may not be removed from the waiting list: the regional administrative court in Gliwice has shared the opinion of the CHR. (more)

FOREIGN CITIZENS AND NATIONAL MINORITIES

  • As part of the CHR’s social campaign “State without torture”, a discussion panel entitled Homo Homini Lupus est was held. The main subject discussed was the need to provide sufficient assistance to  people with the PTSD who are kept in guarded centres for refugees. (more)
  • On 25 April 2019 the Commissioner met with inhabitants of the Roma settlement in Maszkowice. On 26 April he attended a meeting with the authorities of the Łącko municipality held to discuss the housing conditions within the settlement. (more)

THE MEDIA

The case of journalist Tomasz Surdel: the journalist did not want any assistance provision by the consul, and therefore the obligations of the Polish state have been fulfilled, replied the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (more)

THE CHRONICLE

Dr Adam Bodnar and the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights have been granted the prestigious World Justice Project Rule of Law award. (more)