Statutes of the Office of the Commissioner

for Civil Rights Protection

(Annex to the Instruction No. 5 of the Speaker of the Sejm

of 7 April 1997)

§1

The Office of the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection implements the tasks of the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection, in particular through examining petitions sent to the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection by persons listed under Article 9 of the Act, submitting to the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection proposals concerning the handling of those petitions in accordance with Article 11 of the Act, conducting proceedings upon authorisation from the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection in the individual issues taken up in accordance with the provisions of Articles 12-15 of the Act, and elaborating proposals of general addresses defined under Article 16 of the Act, operating under the direct supervision of the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection.

§2

In the absence of the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection, the work of the Office shall be co-ordinated by the Deputy Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection, who shall also perform other functions as determined by the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection.

§3

Proper operation of the Office of the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection at the organisational level shall be ensured by the Director of the Office, who shall also perform other functions as determined by the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection.

§4

1. The basic organisational entities of the Office shall be:

1) The Group for Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties,

2) The Group for Penal Law

3) The Group for Social Insurance

4) The Group for Civil Law and Real Estate

5) The Group for Administrative Law and Housing Issues

6) The Group for Economic Law, Public Tributes and Protection of Consumer Rights

7) The Group for Penal Executive Law

8) The Group for Labour Law

9) The Group for the Protection of the Rights of Soldiers and Public Service Officers

10) The Group for Local Affairs, Local Government and Environmental Protection

11) The Group for Law on Family Relations

12) The Group for Classification of Requests

13) The Presidential Group

14) The Independent Department for the Application of European Conventions and International Co-operation

15) The Independent Department for Personnel and Wages

16) The Independent Department for Finance

2. The Groups may be subdivided into Departments and Sections.

§5

The Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection may appoint plenipotentiaries, defining the objectives of their appointment, their names and scopes of activity.

§6

The detailed description of activities of the organisational entities and their structure shall be defined by the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection by way of instruction.