Newsletter Commissioner for Human Rights in Poland 4-9 October 2017

Newsletter 4 – 9 October 2017

MAIN MATTERS

The Commissioner for Human Rights on issues of tenants and on the rights of citizens answering before various investigation committees

The role of the CHR is to protect citizens against abuse of power. Complaints regarding such situations may be filed with the Commissioner by every citizen. The CHR’s task is to examine each complaint and, if possible, react to it, said Adam Bodnar at a press conference held at the request of media representatives after Deputy Minister of Justice Patryk Jaki, responsible for the penitentiary system and, at the same time, chairman of the Verification Commission on Property Restitution in Warsaw, accused the CHR of “defending the dealers of restitution claims” and called him to resign [more].

On 29 September the CHR, reacting to the complaints of citizens answering before the Verification Commission of Minister Jaki, requested an explanation of the complaints [more].

“Combating homelessness and housing exclusion - the need for systemic prevention and deinstitutionalization of social services” a conference in the CHR Office

Homelessness cannot be combated effectively if we do not work together, said Commissioner for Human Rights Adam Bodnar in his opening address at the conference entitled Combating homelessness and housing exclusion - the need for systemic prevention and deinstitutionalization of social services held on 5 October in the CHR’s Office. The event was attended by representatives of local governments from all over the country, ministries, non-governmental organizations and experts in the field of housing [more]. During the conference, the latest publication of the CHR, entitled Housing programmes in preventing homelessness: good practices and reflections on the system was presented [more].

The CHR’s regional meetings

Street names, responsibilities of the state, and parents’ contacts with children after divorce were the main subjects discussed in the CHR’s regional meeting held on 6 October in Żyrardów [more].

THE COMMISSIONER ON CITIZENS’ ISSUES

The CHR’s statement on the Police activities concerning pro-women non-governmental organizations

The day after the so-called Black Protest held on 3 October, the police inspected registered offices of several such organizations, which was said to be connected with the investigation of abuse of powers by officials of the Ministry of Justice in 2012-2015, related to the allocation of funds from the Fund for Supporting Offence Victims [more].

What about carers of persons with disabilities? The Commissioner writes to Prime Minister Beata Szydło on the implementation of the Constitutional Tribunal’s judgment [more].

After the closing down of gymnasium schools, will there be competitions for primary schools in various school subjects in the Mazowsze region? The Commissioner’s correspondence on the issue with the Mazowsze Schools Superintendent [more].

A mother and her 8-month-old son will live in better conditions: the effect of work of the CHR’s Regional Representative in Wrocław [more].

The CHR on dealing with perpetrators of violence against women and domestic violence [more].

In connection with the controversial case of detaining a Ukrainian woman in Wrocław, the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture issued a statement reminding of the standards applicable to the detention and body search procedures [more].

LEGISLATION

The CHR has joined the constitutional complaint challenging the regulations which limit the rights of applicants for EU funding in situations when the project funds get exhausted during the procedure [more].

The Commissioner writes to the Minister of Justice again with regard to the need for more precise regulations on alternating custody [more].

THE CHRONICLE

For a long time, the Constitution was treated as a booklet which is there to be kept on a shelf. And this is not true, said Adam Bodnar opening his lecture entitled The Constitution is you and me: the rights of senior persons in the light of the Polish Constitution. The lecture was given during the academic year inauguration ceremony in the Third Age University in Grodzisk Mazowiecki [more].

Discussion on the Standard of implementation of the right to health care in Poland: a proposed measurement methodology was the main point on the agenda of the 4^th meeting of the Expert Committee on Health Care [more].