16 DAYS AGAINST VIOLENCE
Eight stores and eight challenges for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The CHR Office has prepared eight stories, inspired by complaints received by the Commissioner. They relate to the changes we need to make in order to effectively protect women against violence and support its victims. (more)
COURTS AND THE SYSTEM OF JUSTICE
- A granddaughter looking after her ill 89-year-old grandmother was refused the nursing benefit. The CHR appealed against the decision. In November, the Local Government Appeals Committee, pursuant to a revision procedure, upheld the complaint and referred the case for reconsideration by the Municipal Social Welfare Centre . (more)
- The CHR has filed another cassation appeal with the Supreme Court regarding Jan Śpiewak and the Miasto Jest Nasze association. He pointed, inter alia, to the importance of open debates for issues of public interest, and the role of NGOs in the debate in question. (more)
- A patient of the Gostynin centre was transferred to a prison to serve the adjudicated penalty of imprisonment there. The regulations do not indicate whether priority should be given to the penalty of imprisonment, adjudicated by a criminal Court, or the ruling on subjecting the person to a therapy, issued by a civil court. The Commissioner has requested the Minister of Justice to amend the regulations In question. (more)
- What is the right to a clean environment? The District Court in Gliwice will request the Supreme Court to resolve a legal issue that arose during the examination, by a second instance Court, of the case of a resident of the city of Rybnik, who filed a complaint against the State Treasury because smog in his city makes normal functioning and living difficult. (more)
EQUAL TREATMENT
- On 26 November, the Senate Committee on the rule of law, human rights and petitions took a decision not to undertake works on the petition regarding the denouncement by Poland of the Istanbul Convention (the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence). (more).
- A school headmaster was convicted for sexual harassment of female teachers. The case was monitored by the Commissioner because sexual harassment is one of the most drastic forms of discrimination, and the state is under the obligation to effectively combat sexual violence against women. (more)
- Retirement pensions of women born in 1953 are even a few hundred zlotys lower than they should be. The CHR called on the Speaker of the Senate to deal with the problem as a matter of urgency. The Sejm was expected to do this during its previous term of office but following a request by the prime minister, the bill was withdrawn shortly before the elections. (more)
OTHER NEWS
- The CHR has replied to citizens’ complaints offended by the behaviour of Nergal, that was presented on Facebook. (more)
- The Ministry of Health sent to the Commissioner a brief information that no works were ongoing on establishing a Council on Infertility Treatment. Yet, the establishment of such a council is a statutory obligation of the government, but has not been met since 2015. Therefore, the Commissioner requested the Minister to explain the reasons for not undertaking such initiative. (more)
- In connection with the anniversary performance of Andrzej Seweryn, people think back about the subject of the „black list” of journalists, experts and politicians from public media. The CHR has requested Polish Television president Jacek Kurski to provide explanations. (more)
- The Commissioner is looking into the case of death of two people in the crisis of homelessness who died last spring shortly after leaving the Praski Hospital in Warsaw and returning to a shelter for homeless people. (more)
- The CHR has requested the Polish Radio to explain the reasons of terminating the cooperation with journalist Łukasz Warzecha. According to him, the discontinuation of his programme broadcast on Polskie Radio 24 had not been justified in any way. (more)
EVENTS
- On 29 November at the Presidential Palace the CHR met with the President of Poland. (more)
- The CHR: the narration of the Ministry of Education, that can be summarized as „things will go forward somehow”, is not satisfactory. We have to focus on the quality of teaching: a seminar at the CHR Office on the results of the education system reform. (more)
- The conference on „Professional activation of deaf persons”: the participants shared good practices and solutions that would enable a better professional activation of deaf persons. (more)
- Let's speak about the rights of senior consumers: a meeting of the Council on Senior Persons, working in the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights. (more)
- The European Union is entering the age of constitutional maturity: the key role of Poland – a lecture by Prof. Dimitry Kochenov at the CHR Office. (more)
Environmental protection, as well as advocacy institutions in Central and Eastern Europe – a conference at the Masaryk University in Brno, with the participation of an employee of the CHR Office. (more