Parliament and the Protection of Human Rights: The Case of the ‘Public Defender of Rights’ in Slovakia

Abstract

This article explores the role of the ‘Public Defender of Rights’ (verejný ochranca práv—VOP) within the Slovak political system and its relationship with the Parliament. It comprehensively examines the complex interactions between these two institutions, shedding light on the limitations of the VOP in a country where the Parliament plays a pivotal role in the political system. These dynamics have profound implications for the protection of human rights. The analysis presented in this article is grounded in various sources, including laws, transcripts from parliamentary debates, government documents, reports from the VOP, media coverage, interviews, as well as decisions from the Constitutional Court.