ESTONIA: Children's Ombudsperson

Summary: Information about institutions in Estonia that monitor children's rights.

Children's Ombudsperson

The institution of the Chancellor of Justice in Estonia was established in the 1938 Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and re-established in accordance with the principle of continuity in the Constitution approved by a referendum in 1992. The legal status of the Chancellor of Justice and the organisation of his office are provided by the Chancellor of Justice Act adopted by the parliament in 1999. The Chancellor of Justice is performing the tasks of the ombudsman for children in Estonia since 19 March 2011, when the tasks of protection and promoting children’s rights according to the UN convention on the rights of the child article 4 were added to the Chancellor of Justice by an amendment of the Chancellor of Justice Act. The main tasks of the Chancellor of Justice as the ombudsman for children are:

1) to ensure that all state institutions and all other institutions and people who make decisions having an impact on children and youngsters, would respect children's rights and would have only the best interests of children and youngsters in mind when making these decisions;

2) to resolve complaints related to children’s rights in their relations with the individuals and authorities that perform public functions;

3) to verify whether the legal acts related to children’s rights are in conformity with the constitution and laws;

4) to familiarise the society with children's rights;

5) to impartially point out any existing child protection problems in the society;

6) to organise studies related to children’s rights;

7) to help start discussions on the topics important for Estonian children and youngsters in the society.

To fulfil the tasks of the ombudsman for children, there is the Children’s Rights Department in the Office of the Chancellor of Justice.

Countries

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