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…
On 28 November, the Ombudsman’s Office received a delegation made up of representatives from the National Human Rights Commission and the Government of Guinea-Bissau as part of a study visit to Portugal as part of the project to create a Mechanism for the Preparation of Reports, Implementation and Follow-up in this partner country. This initiative, which took place between 26…
The Ombudsperson took part in the conference on ‘Combating violence against women and domestic violence’, which took place on 25 November at the Casa das Histórias – Paula Rego, in Cascais, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The joint initiative of the Ministries of Justice, Internal Administration, Youth and Modernisation featured speeches…
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life expectancy and interest rates.These two indicators, which are part of determining the amount to be paid, are far out of date, creating…
O Provedor de Justiça esteve representado, por Sofia Duarte, responsável pelo Gabinete de Direito e Relações Internacionais, no Exame Periódico Universal (UPR, na sigla inglesa) de Portugal perante o Conselho de Direitos Humanos das Nações Unidas, que decorreu em 6 de novembro, em Genebra. Durante esta avaliação, Portugal recebeu recomendações de outros Estados-membros das Nações Unidas, algumas das quais em…
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 Ombudsman is recruiting legal advisors, under the terms of article 21 of Decree-Law no. 80/2021, of October 6, and Regulation no. 159/2022, of February 11. Admission requirements A degree in Law, with a final average of 14 or more; or a Master’s degree in Law, with a final average of 14 or more. To apply Send the following to…
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…
On August 30, in Geneva, the Ombudsman, represented by the Deputy Ombudsman, Ravi Afonso Pereira, took part in the Pre-Session of the 4th cycle of evaluation of Portugal under the Universal Periodic Review. This event, which precedes the formal evaluation to be carried out next November, was an opportunity for the Ombudsman to present his observations and recommendations on the…
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…
