Commissioner for Human Rights

How to refer your matter to the Commissioner for Human Rights?

Date:
1/4 Make sure that your matter should be referred to the CHR
Matters may be referred to the Commissioner for Human Rights by:
  • anyone who feels their rights have been violated by the state
  • anyone who feels they are treated unequally because of who they are
  • anyone deprived of their liberty and wishing to complain of inhuman treatment

The Commissioner also acts in support of persons who have not referred their matters to the CHR but may be disadvantaged by faulty regulations or their application methods.
The Commissioner seeks to prevent harm by indicating to the authorities the legislation that needs to be amended or improved.
IMPORTANT!
The Commissioner is not a court. Neither is he/she a lawyer who will write a procedural document for you.
Applications lodged with the Commissioner for Human Rights are free of charge.
Who else can help you?
If your matter concerns a loan, borrowing or insurance
Financial Ombudsman >
If your matter concerns service or product quality
Office of Competition and Consumer Protection >
If you are a foreigner or your matter concerns a foreigner
Office for Foreigners >
If your problem relates to personal data protection
Personal Data Protection Office >
If your case has already been dealt with by Polish court
European Court of Human Rights >
If your matter concerns maladministration and systemic problems of the EU institutions
European Ombudsman >
2/4 Lodge your application with the CHR. Your application can be lodged in one of the following ways
Via the internet
ONLINE FORM
ePUAP
BIURORZECZNIKA@BRPO.GOV.PL
APPLICATION IN THE SIGN LANGUAGE
By traditional mail
at the following address:

Biuro Rzecznika Praw Obywatelskich
(Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights)
al. Solidarności 77
00-090 Warszawa
In person
at any of the four CHR Offices which are open on business days in:

Warszawa
Katowice
Gdańsk
Wrocław
During the office hours, at a CHR advice point in any of the following cities

Częstochowa
Gdańsk
Kielce
Koszalin
Kraków
Lublin
Łódź
Poznań
Słupsk
Szczecin
3/4 What should your application contain? Every application should indicate
  • first name(s) and surname of the applicant
  • address of the applicant
  • description of the matter in question
  • attached documents (if any)

No proxy document is required to lodge a complaint with the Commissioner for Human Rights (information for lawyers and legal advisors: no proxy document is required to lodge a complaint with the Commissioner for Human Rights).

Pursuant to Article 24(1) of the Act of 29 August 1997 on the Protection of Personal Data (consolidated text: Dziennik Ustaw [Journal of Laws] of 2016, item 922), the data administrator is the Commissioner for Human Rights with his/her registered office at al. Solidarności 77 in Warsaw.

The data are processed for the purpose of the application’s consideration by the Commissioner for Human Rights, in accordance with the Act of 15 July 1987 on the Commissioner for Human Rights (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2014, item 1648).

The data subject may access his/her data and correct it.
4/4 File a petition with the CHR. The petition may concern
  • amendment of the law,
  • taking a decision or other action with regard to the matter concerning the petitioner or pertaining to community life or values that require particular protection for the common good

The petition must concern a matter within the scope of the Commissioner’s tasks and competences. If the Commissioner is not competent to deal with the matter, the petition is sent to the entity competent to consider it.
The manner of submitting and considering petitions is set out in the Act of 11 July 2014 on petitions (Journal of Laws of 2014, item 1195). Petitions may be submitted by natural persons, legal persons, organizations without legal personality, or groups of such entities.
A petition should indicate:
  • name of the petitioner, his/her place of residence (or registered office address) and correspondence address
    Petitions filed by groups of entities should indicate the place of residence (or registered office address) of each entity and of the person representing the petitioner.
  • name of the entity with which the petition is filed
  • subject matter of the petition
A petition submitted in writing should be signed by the petitioner or person representing the petitioner.
Via the internet
ePUAP
BIURORZECZNIKA@BRPO.GOV.PL
By traditional mail
at the following address:

Biuro Rzecznika Praw Obywatelskich
(Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights)
al. Solidarności 77
00-090 Warszawa
In person
at any of the four CHR Offices which are open on business days in:

Warszawa
Katowice
Gdańsk
Wrocław
During the office hours, at a CHR advice point in any of the following cities:

Częstochowa
Gdańsk
Kielce
Koszalin
Kraków
Lublin
Łódź
Poznań
Słupsk
Szczecin
Lodge your application with the CHR. Your application can be lodged in one of the following ways
ONLINE FORM
ePUAP
BIURORZECZNIKA@BRPO.GOV.PL