NEWS PUBLISHED ON THE OMBUDSMAN’S WEBSITE IN 2017 6 September 5 October Secure institution not entitled to check residents’ mail Home care nurse summoned to talk following critical Facebook post When a resident of the secure institution Kofoeds­ Managements of public authorities are not minde receives a letter or a parcel, he or she will precluded from having a talk with employees who be asked to open it in the presence of two staff have used their freedom of expression to criticise members. If the resident refuses, the mail will be their workplace – provided the managements returned unopened. If he or she consents, con­ have a legitimate reason for this. But manage­ tents such as dangerous objects or euphoriants ments are not permitted to criticise in any way will be confiscated. the fact that an employee has used his or her freedom of expression, and the purpose of having The Ombudsman is understanding of the regime a talk with the employee must not be to silence of checking the residents’ mail, but in his opinion him or her. In addition, there must not be a risk it is not legal. For this reason, the Ombudsman has that the employee might reasonably understand recommended that Kofoedsminde discontinue the the situation in that way. regime. That is the essence of a recent case, which shows 8 September that managements of public authorities must be Police force tightens gift policy careful when responding to views that have been legally expressed by an employee. A police officer should not accept a box of chocolates from a citizen who wants to express 27 October his or her gratitude for the work of the police in a Hearing in Parliament to focus on the Access to Public Administration Files Act, the area of immigration, freedom of expression and safety in social care residential facilities case. He also has to be cautious about attending courses or seminars paid for by privately owned enterprises. These are two of several respects in which the National Police has now tightened its guidelines for employees of the police force on acceptance of gifts and other benefits. On Wednesday 15 November 2017 at 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee will The guidelines have been tightened after the hold its annual hearing about the work of the Par­ National Police itself stated that its gift policy liamentary Ombudsman, at which the Ombuds­ left the impression that employees of the police man and members of his staff will present issues force were permitted to accept gifts to a greater of current interest for questions and discussion. extent than other public employees. 30 October 13 September Passenger was entitled to compensation for delayed flight ‘Overviews’ from Ombudsman aim to prevent errors With the launch today of the Ombudsman insti­ If a flight is delayed or cancelled because a crew tution’s Guide for Authorities on its website, the member has become ill, the passengers may institution is taking a new step to prevent errors be entitled to compensation. That follows from on the part of public authorities. EU rules and case law of the European Court of Justice, the Ombudsman concludes in a recent ‘At the Ombudsman institution, we do not only give statement. priority to investigating cases in which errors have been made, but increasingly also to preventing 127