Polish Ombudsman


The Polish Ombudsman is an independent central office of the Republic of Poland. The office was first established on January 1, 1988. Its functioning is regulated by the Constitution and an act of Polish parliament from July 15, 1987. The office is accredited as Poland's national human rights institution.

Responsibilities and powers of the Polish Ombudsman

Polish law entrusts the ombudsman with four responsibilities with respect to citizen rights:
The ombudsman, deputies and the office protect freedom and rights of the people. They monitor current events. In case they find that due to intentional actions by agencies, organizations or institutions which are duty bound to respect freedoms and rights of the people, these freedoms and rights were violated, they undertake action. In such cases, they can act on behalf of the people in courts. The office can undertake such actions only if a thorough analysis of the situation shows that the rights or the freedoms of the people were infringed, and only if such analysis recognizes the need for the ombudsman to be involved in a case. The people have right to ask the ombudsman for intervention.

Election, recall and term of office

List of Polish Ombudsmen:
Dr Kochanowski died in office, as a result of the Smolensk air disaster.