Submitted by crinadmin on
The Ombudsman is an autonomous independent institution established by the Ombudsman Act adopted in 2003, in force as of 1 January 2004. The first Bulgarian Ombudsman was elected in April 2005.
Article 2 of the Ombudsman Act in general terms mandates the Ombudsman to intervene when citizens’ rights and freedoms have been violated by actions or omissions of the State and municipal authorities and their administrations as well as by the persons assigned with the provision of public services. In addition, amendments to the Ombudsman Act in force as of 11 May 2012 granted the Ombudsman specific mandate to protect the rights of the child (Article 19, para 1, item 9).
The Ombudsman’s powers are set forth in detail in Article 19 of the Ombudsman Act and form a rather broad mandate in relation to monitoring, promotion and protection of human rights; issuing opinions and recommendations and encouraging ratification of international treaties.