News from the Ombudsman’s Office: September 2024
News and events of the Ombudsman’s Office in September 2024 (information in links mostly available in Latvian).
Ombudsman invites to participate in a survey on cases of sexual harassment in higher education institutions
At the beginning of this year, the cases of sexual harassment publicly reported in several Latvian universities and the public’s response to them have made it necessary to study the topic in depth. Therefore, the Ombudsman, in cooperation with the research centre Berg Research and the Student Union of Latvia, is conducting an extensive survey with the aim of identifying and understanding the experience of sexual harassment in higher education institutions. Replies can be submitted electronically until 14 October on ej.uz/Tiesibsarga_aptauja
Research reveals a variety of trends: attitude towards people with disabilities is improving
The public’s attitude and understanding of the needs of people with disabilities has improved, as confirmed by two studies commissioned by the Ombudsman this year. One of them, however, shows a worrying trend: people with disabilities have indicated a significant decline in their willingness to fight for their rights.
The Ombudsman replies: Can a school ban students from speaking a foreign language among them on breaks?
A school has provided in its Internal Rules that during breaks pupils may only communicate with each other in official state language – Latvian. Is such a rule justified and lawful? Short answer: No, an educational institution is not allowed to rule this. The Official Language Law stipulates that it does not apply to the use of the language in unofficial communication, so during breaks at school children are allowed to speak in a language that is convenient to them, including a foreign language.
Lower electricity bills must be provided to all those indicated by the state
The Ombudsman found that protected electricity customers cannot receive support if the houseowner, manager, etc. has chosen a trader that does not provide this service for the protected customer. More than 160 thousand protected users are currently registered in Latvia, but more than 50 thousand do not actually receive the service. The Ombudsman has requested the Cabinet of Ministers to resolve the situation by 1 March 2025.
Vaccination: Rights and Duties of a Child, a Parent and a Doctor
The Ombudsman invites everyone to be responsible for one’s own health and that of one’s children, to be in close cooperation with general practitioners and to listen to their advice! By vaccinating those who can get vaccinated, we protect those who don’t have this opportunity due to objective reasons.