News from the Ombudsman’s Office: December 2025
News and events of the Ombudsman’s Office in December 2025 (information in links mostly available in Latvian).
Share your experience on cooperation with the Orphan’s and Custody Court
The Ombudsman Karina Palkova invites residents to share their experience of cooperation with the Orphan’s and Custody Courts – both positive situations and negative cases when they have encountered unethical or unprofessional actions of employees of Orphan’s and Custody Courts.
Discussion on accessibility of mass media content for people with disabilities
In Latvia, accessibility of media content for people with disabilities remains insufficient, especially in television and on the internet. On the positive side, both the media and their supervisors are ready to continue finding solutions to make the media accessible to everyone. On 3 December 2025, participants of the discussion on ‘Accessibility of mass media content for people with disabilities’ agreed on this.
Ombudsperson: rotation of civil servants is a global practice for strengthening institutions, but in Latvia it often has a negative impact
A survey of the Ombudsman’s Office and the discussion on relocation of officials highlight that the rotation of civil servants is a recognised practice of strengthening public administration. At the same time, it was recognised that the framework was broad and unclear for some officials, which required guidelines for the development of a common transfer practice to achieve the objective of such rotation – transfer of good examples to an institution to be strengthened.
Ombudsperson: Sigulda municipality ignores the illegally established racetrack
Arbitrary adaptation and use of an existing asphalt field for motorsport in the racetrack ‘Slapjā ragana’ without the appropriate arrangement of construction documents in the local government and the uncoordinated change in the use of the area are to be regarded as arbitrary construction. Sigulda local government is directly responsible for controlling this situation and must therefore act proactively and strike a balance between the interests of the parties involved – the residents and the entrepreneurs – by 1 January 2026.
Ombudsperson calls for applications to the Disability Advisory Council
Ombudsperson invites organisations representing people with disabilities to apply for membership of the Ombudsman’s Disability Advisory Council. First meeting of the Council is planned for 22 January 2026 at 13:00 – 15:30.
Ombudsperson gives an inspirational speech at an event dedicated to whistleblowing
On 9 December, the Ombudsperson Karina Palkova delivered an inspirational speech entitled ‘Citizen’s co-responsibility to the State: Freedom of expression. A democratic state governed by the rule of law as a shared responsibility’ called on every resident of Latvia to be a responsible citizen using the whistleblowing mechanism, when there is a breach detrimental to the public interest. The Ombudsperson is convinced: “A democratic state cannot exist solely on the shoulders of institutions. It exists when its residents perceive the state as theirs, their field of responsibility. This manifests when a person sees a violation and decides an uncomfortable and risky path: speak and act.’
Ombudsman educates:
- Ombudsperson educates students on data protection and youth professionals on anti-discrimination and hate speech
- Training for sociological surveyors on accessible survey websites
- In Ventspils, young people learn about the importance of elections; in Gulbene – about freedom of expression and hate speech
- Safety of children in sports