OSCE/ODIHR Opinion on the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Seimas Ombudsmen CHAPTER III ACCEPTANCE AND INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS Article 12. Complaints within the Jurisdiction of the Seimas Ombudsmen 1. The Seimas Ombudsmen shall investigate complainants’ complaints about the abuse of office by and bureaucracy of officials or other violations of human rights and freedoms in the sphere of public administration. 2. The activities of the President of the Republic, members of the Seimas, the Prime Minister, the Government (as a collegial institution), the State Controller and judges of the Constitutional Court and other courts, municipal councils (as collegial institutions) shall be outside the Seimas Ombudsman’s powers of investigation. 3. The legality and validity of procedural decisions of the prosecutors, pre-trial investigation officials shall also be outside the Seimas Ombudsmen’s powers of investigation, however, complaints about the actions of the prosecutors, pre-trial investigation officials, which violate human rights and freedoms, shall fall within the investigative jurisdiction of the Seimas Ombudsmen. 4. The Seimas Ombudsmen shall not investigate complaints arising from the labour legal relations and about the legality and validity of court decisions, judgements and rulings. Article 13. Filing of Complaints 1. The complainant shall have the right to file a complaint with the Seimas Ombudsman about the abuse of office by or by bureaucracy of officials if he believes that his rights and freedoms have been violated thereby. 2. The Seimas Ombudsman shall also investigate complaints of complainants referred to him by the Seimas members, which are in conformity with the requirements of Article 14 of this Law. 3. As a rule, complaints shall be filed in writing. If a complaint is received verbally, by telephone or if the Seimas Ombudsman establishes from the mass media or other sources the presence of elements of abuse of office by the officials, bureaucracy or instances of violation of human rights and freedoms, the Seimas Ombudsman may open investigation into the matter on his own initiative. 25