Spanish Ombudsman
Organisation name in original language
Defensor del Pueblo
Category of human rights structure
Statutory human rights body
Country
Spain
Type(s) of body
National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)
Ombuds institution (OI)
Legal source(s)
- Organic Law 3/1981, of 6 April, on the Ombudsman (Ley Orgánica 3/1981, de 6 de abril, del Defensor del Pueblo)
- Spanish Constitution (Constitución Española)
- Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 2002 (the role of national preventive mechanism was assigned to the ombudsman by the Spanish parliament in November 2009)
- Law 2/2014, of March 25, on State Foreign Action and Service”(Ley 2/2014, de 25 de marzo, de la Acción y del Servicio Exterior del Estado)
Human rights capacity support
Not applicableFunctions
- Oversight
- Providing remedy
- Collecting data on human rights violations
- Performing promotional activities
Specific mandates
- Ombud with a mandate on maladministration
- National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)
- National preventive mechanism (NPM) under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT)
- National monitoring mechanism under the CRPD
- Rights of the child
- Bringing cases before the constitutional courts for constitutional review
Structured cooperation with partners at national level
- Conducts periodic inspections of public agencies.
- Gives recommendations to public institutions.
- Makes an annual report to parliament.
- Engages with non-governmental organisations, civil-society organisations and social entities in information gathering, mediation, grievance handling and advocacy.
Structured cooperation with partners at international and EU level
- Reports to the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
DISCLAIMER The information presented here is collected under contract by the FRA's research network FRANET. The information and views contained do not necessarily reflect the views or the official position of the FRA.