Public Attorney, in the world known under the name Ombudsman, as new institution in the legal system of the Republic of Macedonia established by the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia” No. 52/91, No. 1/92, No. 31/98 and No. 91/01).Law on Ombudsman (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 60/03) establishes his authority to protect the constitutional and legal rights of citizens when violated by the organs of the state administration and other organs and organisations with public authorities.

The Ombudsman is an independent, autonomous, professional, and competent institution governed in the exercising of his office and authorities by the principles of objectivity, impartiality, responsibility, honesty, authority, promptness, expediency, non-association (affiliation) with any political party, equality in the protection of the rights and liberties regardless of sex, race, colour of skin, religious creed, political or ethnical association of citizens.

The Ombudsman carries out the work within his remit in compliance with the Constitution and laws, as well as ratified international legal acts on human rights and liberties.

The assistance or intervention from the Ombudsman can seek every citizen of the Republic of Macedonia and a foreign citizen (personally or through an authorized person) when he assesses that one of his constitutional or legal rights has been violated by the acts or activities of the organs of the state administration and other organs and organizations with public authorities.

The protection of the rights before the Ombudsman can be pursued after a citizen previously turned to (filed a petition, claim, sought assistance, intervention, or other activity) an authorized organ or organization, and said organ or organization made an act or didn’t make an act, undertook, that is, did not undertake any appropriate action.

The proceeding before the Ombudsman is initiated by the filing of a petition (complaint, appeal) that can be delivered personally at the Ombudsman’s office, by mail, orally - recorded at the Ombudsman’s Office, by fax, or e-mail.

The Ombudsman can start the proceedings at his own initiative; however, requisite for the continuation of the proceedings is the consent of the citizen whose constitutional or legal right has been violated.

The Ombudsman intervenes when:

• individual rights of citizens have been violated through the acts and activities of the organs of the state administration and other organs and organizations with public authorities;
  
  

• undertook activities by means of which they arbitrarily, bureaucratically, improperly, and inhumanely treated the citizens;
  
  

• did not handle the petitions, or made positive decisions upon the petitions without any legal grounds for it;
  
  

• delayed the proceedings;
  
  

• did not involve interested parties into the proceedings;
  
  

• cruelly and degradingly played with the petitioner sending him from one office to another for matters and gathering of evidence that they themselves could have provided themselves;
  
  

• did not enforce executive and final acts and did not act upon the guidelines of the appellate and trial organs.
  
  

If you need help from the Ombudsman you can come in person in the Office of the Ombudsman in Skopje or in the field officies in: Tetovo, Kicevo, Stip, Strumica, Kumanovo and Bitola or you can phone, send complaint by mail, fax or e-mail.

A CITIZEN CAN SUBMIT A PETITION:

• In writing (personally or by mail);
  
  

• Orally through Minutes taken at the Ombudsman’s office;
  
  

• By phone or fax;
  
  

• By electronic mail.
  
  
  

IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO INITIATE THE PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE AUTHORIZED ORGANS AND ORGANIZATIONS, THE FOLLOWINGS PREREQUISITES HAVE TO BE MET:

• The petition must be signed and contain the petitioner’s personal data (first name, last name, address, phone, etc.);
  
  

• Also, it must contain the circumstances, facts, and evidence the petition is based on (resolution, decision, appeal, conclusion, statement, certificate, opinion, etc.);
  
  

• The organ, that is the organization, as well as the official the petition refers to; also, the act (resolution, decision, statement, etc.) by means of which the right was violated must be listed;
  
  

• Finally, the petition should contain an account of the legal remedies the petitioner has lodged, if any.
  
  

The petition should be intelligible and legible.

In his handling the Ombudsman always respects privacy and secrecy of the petitioner’s data, and for any activity undertaken on the Ombudsman’s part, the petitioner must not suffer any harmful consequences by the organ that violated his right.

The filing of the petition is free of charge.

The filing of the petition is not limited to any strictly prescribed form, and it can be hand written. In the Ombudsman’s Office there is a form for the filling in of the petitions.

When the Ombudsman concludes that constitutional and legal rights of complainant are infringed or there are some irregularities he can give recommendations, proposals, opinions and indications on the manner of the removal of the determined infringements; propose that a certain procedure be implemented pursuant to law; raise an initiative for commencing disciplinary proceedings against an official i.e. the responsible person; submit a request to the competent Public Prosecutor for initiation of a procedure in order to determine a criminal responsibility.