Independence of the ombudsman institution, an indispensable condition of the rule of law and access to european values

The institution of the Ombudsman plays an important role in strengthening democracy, the rule of law, good administration, the protection and promotion of fundamental human rights and freedoms. It is the duty of the state to support and protect in this way, the Institution of the People's Advocate and to refrain from any action that undermines its independence. The competence of the Ombudsman regarding judicial or administrative authorities should be limited to ensuring the procedural efficiency and administrative functioning of this system. The People's Advocate will not be involved in the judicial system, for example, but will be able to monitor and report on the level of respect for the constitutionally guaranteed right to a fair trial. The ombudsman will not be able to annul an administrative act, but he will be able to support whether or not it contravenes international human rights standards. The ombudsman will not be able to hold civil servants accountable, but through his reports he will be able to reiterate the degree of respect for human rights by the public/administrative institution or any other entity. Obviously, in his mandate, the Ombudsman will not get involved in political, administrative or professional activities incompatible with his independence and impartiality. In this paper, the authors will analyze the level of compliance with the above-mentioned guarantees by the state authorities in the context of precedents from the Republic of Moldova and other states and how effective they are or can be in a state in democratic transition.