There are a number of human rights institutions which you can use as a last resort to establish whether your human rights have been violated or not. There are both Latvian and international institutions.

Each of these institutions has very specific functions and they work on the basis of different laws or international agreements. It is important to understand that:

  • They can only be used if you have first tried all the ordinary complaint mechanisms. For example, a general court or a complaints procedure that is offered to you first.
  • You can only apply to these institutions if those mechanisms have failed and a possible violation of your rights has not been properly investigated and compensated.
  • These institutions will only assess whether there has been a potential violation of your human rights. They will not re-examine your court case or declare any decisions of the State invalid.

In addition, the Ombudsman can help you to understand your human rights and explain how you can protect them.

Human Rights Guide

A European platform for human rights education