Being considered 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE OMBUDSMAN’S WORK TOTAL 2013 (situation on 31 December 2013) 2014 (situation on 31 December 2014) 2015 (situation on 31 December 2015) No. No. No. No. Share Share Share Index (15/14) Share 3,004 80.7% 3,737 87.3% 3,181 85.4% 3,008 88.0% 94.6 718 19.3% 542 12.7% 546 14.6% 410 12.0% 75.1 3,722 100.0% 4,279 100.0% 3,727 100.0% 3,418 100.0% 91.7 A detailed review of cases by field of work is shown in Table 3.6.4. In field 1 Constitutional rights, 190 cases were considered in 2015 (4 per cent less than in 2014). The reduction in the number of cases in this field was due to the smaller number of cases in the sub-field of the right to vote, where the number of cases in 2014 (14) dropped to four in 2015, and in the sub-field of the protection of personal data from 66 in 2014 to 61 in 2015. A substantial increase in individual sub-fields was not noted; however, the sub-field of ethics of public discourse may be mentioned at this point, where the number of complaints discussed in both comparative years was almost the same (87 in 2015 and 89 in 2014). The number of cases in field 2 Restriction of personal freedom in 2015 (176) did not significantly change in comparison with 2014 (173). The reduction in the sub-field of psychiatric patients (from 29 to 21 in 2015) was more significant within this field. A minor increase was noticed in the sub-fields of prisoners (from 95 to 101) and detainees (from 19 to 21 in 2015). As evident in previous years, the second largest field according to the number of cases discussed in 2015 is field 3 Social security with 546 cases. The number of cases in 2015 declined by 5.5 per cent (from 578 to 546) in comparison with 2014. The most significant contribution to the reduction was a drop in the number of cases related to social benefits and relief (from 114 to 91) and health insurance (from 59 to 46). The reduction was also noticed in the sub-fields of violence – general (from 17 to 9) and institutional care (from 52 to 46), while an increase was seen in the sub-fields of health care (from 85 to 106) and disability insurance (from 46 to 54). In field 4 Labour law matters, the number of cases in 2015 (284) declined slightly in comparison with 2014 (314), i.e. by 9.6 per cent. This was seen in almost all sub-fields; employment relations are the most noted, where case declined by 12.8 per cent (133 in 2014 and 116 in 2015). A slight increase in cases (from 18 to 23) may be seen only in the sub-field of other matters, where cases that cannot be classified under other sub-fields within labour law matters are placed. In field 5 Administrative matters, the number of cases in 2015 (415) fell in comparison with 2014 (453), i.e. by 8.4 per cent. The biggest reduction in the number of cases is noticed in social activities from 82 to 56. 210 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA FOR 2015 The number of cases in 2015 compared to 2014 relating to the area of work 8 Public utility services decreased by 12.5 per cent (from 80 to 70). A reduction can be seen in the sub-fields of communication (from 13 to 9) and transport (from 20 to 17), while an increase may be noticed in energy (from 14 to 19). Field 9 Housing matters is the second field in 2015 where the highest growth index was noticed in comparison with 2014, i.e. 111.7 (124 in 2015 and 111 in 2014). While the number of cases increased in the sub-field of housing relations (from 59 to 61), the number of cases in the field of housing economics declined (from 59 to 46). The number of cases considered under 10 Discrimination in 2015 remained almost the same compared to 2014 (75 in 2014 and 76 in 2015). The number of cases in the sub-field of national and ethnic minorities decreased from 33 to 24, while the number of cases in the sub-field of equal opportunities relating to sexual orientation increased from 1 to 6. In field 11 Children’s rights, the number of cases in 2015 decreased by 19.2 per cent in comparison with 2014 (464 in 2014 and 375 in 2015). This field also includes the sub-field of child advocacy, where we noted a slight decline in cases considered (from 88 to 81). The number of cases in the sub-fields of child support, child benefit, child property management (from 53 to 28), and foster care, guardianship and institutional care (from 35 to 22) decreased. Field 12 Other includes cases that cannot be classified under any of the defined fields. In 2015, we dealt with 307 such cases, which is 5.5 per cent less than a year earlier, or 8.9 per cent of all cases discussed. Table 3.6.4: C  omparison of cases considered by the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia in 2014 and 2015 by fields of work 198 190 96.0 2 6 300.0 1.2 Ethics of public discourse 89 87 97.8 1.3 Assembly and association 6 8 133.3 1.4 Security services 2 1 50.0 1.5 Right to vote 14 4 28.6 1.6 Personal data protection 66 61 92.4 FIELD/SUB-FIELD OF THE OMBUDSMAN’S WORK 1 Constitutional rights 1.1 Freedom of conscience 6 3 50.0 13 20 153.8 173 176 101.7 2.1 Detainees 19 22 115.8 2.2 Prisoners 95 101 106.3 FIELD/SUB-FIELD OF THE OMBUDSMAN’S WORK 1.7 Access to public information 1.8 Other 2R  estriction of personal freedom ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA FOR 2015 211 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE OMBUDSMAN’S WORK Closed 2012 (situation on 31 December 2012) Index (15/14) STAGE OF PROCESSING CASES Cases considered in 2015 Table 3.6.3: C  omparison of the number of cases considered by the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia according to the stage of the procedure in the period 2012−2015 (at the end of the calendar year) In field 7 Environment and spatial planning, the number of cases processed increased by 35.9 per cent in 2015 (from 131 to 178) in comparison to 2014. The increase in cases discussed was noticed in all three sub-fields under the field of the environment and spatial planning, particularly in the sub-field of spatial planning, i.e. 58.6 per cent (from 29 to 46). Cases considered in 2014 2. Cases being considered: cases that were being discussed as of 31 December 2015. Index (15/14) 1. Closed cases: cases the discussion of which was completed by 31 December 2015. Cases considered in 2015 In 2015, 3,418 cases were considered, of which 3,008 or 88 per cent of cases had been resolved as of 31 December 2015, and 410 cases (12 per cent) remained to be resolved. The field with the highest number of cases in 2015 is 6 Judicial and police proceedings. In 2015, the Ombudsman discussed 677 cases in this field, or 17.9 per cent less than in 2014 (825). This field comprises matters related to the police, pre-litigation, criminal and civil proceedings, proceedings in labour and social disputes, minor offence proceedings, administrative court proceedings, matters in relation to the services of lawyers and notaries, and others. With the exception of the sub-field of administrative court proceedings, the number of cases in all other sub-fields reduced significantly. According to the number of cases considered, the sub-field of civil procedures and relations with 283 cases (335 in 2014) is the most notable. The sub-field of lawyers and notaries, where the percentage of cases discussed dropped by 41 per cent (from 39 to 23), should also be highlighted. Cases considered in 2014 Cases by stage of handling