International Human Rights Day was celebrated on 10 December, a date that marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948, and with which the Ombudsman associates himself. Human rights are a matter for all of us, an everyday issue. You only have to go out into the street or watch the news…
The Ombudsman has made a recommendation to the Tax and Customs Authority (AT), urging it to review its current interpretation of Article 2(2) of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Code, with regard to the provision of wastewater sanitation services. According to the AT’s position, VAT is not levied on the provision of these services by public entities, unlike if they…
The Ombudsperson has recommended that the Minister of Justice ensure that the Institute for Financial Management and Justice Equipment (IGFEJ) adopts appropriate practices in the face of requests to hide personal data in insolvency proceedings. The law stipulates that access by third parties to data from insolvency proceedings available on the Citius Portal ceases when the proceedings are archived and…
The Ombudsperson, Maria Lúcia Amaral, has recommended that the government urgently update the calculation of capital compensation awarded to workers who have suffered an accident at work or occupational disease, so that it reflects both current average life expectancy and interest rates.These two indicators, which are part of determining the amount to be paid, are far out of date, creating…
The Ombudsman’s Office is concerned about the lack of protection for migrants with documents that have expired, and calls for the dissemination of information on the subject to be stepped up among public administration services and foreign citizens in Portugal. This concerns the situation of migrants from countries outside the European Union (EU) and applicants for international protection, since a…
The Ombudsman’s Office welcomes the recent amendment to the Rules of Procedure of the Guimarães Municipal Assembly, which expands citizens’ participation in all sessions of the body, including extraordinary ones. This amendment was approved on 27 September 2024, following an intervention by the Ombudsman’s Office, prompted by a complaint questioning the failure to hold a period for the public to…
On September 27, the Palácio de Vilalva in Lisbon hosted the conference “Five Decades of Freedom and Justice: Celebrating 50 Years of the Ombudsman and April 25”. The event, organized by the Ombudsman’s Office, marked the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of this institution in Portugal. The initiative brought together members of the Network of Ombudsmen, National Human Rights Commissions…
The Ombudsperson participated in the 57th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council by intervening in a panel discussion, which took place on September 11, 2024, in Geneva, on how to “Promote and protect economic, social and cultural rights in the context of combating inequalities”. In her remote intervention, the Ombudsperson, Maria Lúcia Amaral, stressed the centrality of human…
The Ombudsman’s Office has pleaded with the Social Security Institute’s (ISS) the right to unemployment benefits for victims of domestic violence who have terminated their employment contracts under the terms of the Decent Work Agenda Law, in force since May 2023. A different position is being adopted by the ISS, which only recognises this right in cases of termination after…
The Ombudsperson has sent a Recommendation to the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing to amend the legislation to bring the level of protection afforded to road passengers on par with the higher level afforded to rail passengers. The Recommendation now addressed to the Government is the result of an analysis of a complaint received alleging the unconstitutionality of the rules…