Commissioner for Human Rights

Newsletter Commissioner for Human Rights in Poland 13 - 16 November 2018

MAIN MATTERS

2nd CONGRESS ON HUMAN RIGHTS The Commissioner for Human Rights is inviting all those interested to the 2nd Congress on Human Rights to be held on 14-15 December 2018. The registration is already open. An informal report on the implementation of the recommendations of the first edition of the Congress, held last year, has also been published. (CONGRESS WEBSITE) (REGISTRATION PAGE) (REPORT)

THE CHR is taking steps relating to the incidents during the celebrations of the Independence Day. (more)

WOMEN’S RIGHTS How do women’s electoral rights look in practice? Why is the situation of women is not much different than 100 years ago? The conference Unfinished emancipation of women, co-organized by the CHR and the SWPS University, to be held on 22 November, will discuss new results of sociological research (more)

On 8 November, the registry court dismissed the motion of the Minister of the Interior to suspend the board of the Free Citizens of Poland foundation and to establish a court-appointed administrator for the entity. The case was joined by the CHR (more)

The draft act on the Rural Associations of Women has a number of restrictions that cause doubts of the Commissioner for Human Rights.. The Commissioner wrote to the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture with the aim to explain his reservations (more)

CRIMINAL LAW There will be no amendments introduced to the Polish law in connection with the directive on the presumption of innocence, replied the Ministry of Justice to the CHR’s letter. (more)

A man with intellectual disability was penalized for stealing 270 PLN. The penalty was imposed without holding any hearing and without ensuring a lawyer’s support for the man. The CHR who considers this a gross violation of the law, lodged a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court. (more)

BORDER CROSSING The Border Guard will not take minutes of conversations held with foreigners who intend to apply for the refugee status, for example at the border crossing in Terespol. This has been indicated in the letter of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, received in reply to the CHR’s inquiry. The inquiry indicated that foreigners often have no opportunity to submit such a request and are required to return to Belarus. (more)

The waiting time for an interview with a Polish Consul, concerning the application for Pole's Card, is sometimes as long as one year, concluded the Supreme Audit Office having examined problems related to obtaining the card. The Commissioner inquired the Minister of Foreign Affairs whether any actions have been taken in connection with the results of the audit. (more)

EU GRANTS The limits in the appeal procedure to be used by entities that have not won a competition for EU co-funding are consistent with the Constitution, adjudicated the Constitutional Tribunal in the case that was joined by the CHR. (more)

CHLDREN WITH DISABILITIES What are the possibilities for parents of children over 18, who have a disability and are in a psychological crisis? The Commissioner has concluded that the state does not provide support in such situations. (more)

The Ministry of Health is not working on regulations on intimate meetings of crime perpetrators who are placed in psychiatric hospitals: this may be concluded from the Minister's response to the CHR’s intervention regarding the matter. (more)

People complain of irregularities in the calculation of amounts charged for apartment heating in multi-apartment buildings. There are no legal regulations on the operation and use of heat cost calculation systems for residential space and for commercial space. The Commissioner wrote to the Minister of Energy again with regard to the matter. (more)