If you think you have been discriminated against, you have the right to file a formal complaint with the Equality Council, the specialized state authority responsible for preventing and combating discrimination. Alternatively, you can choose to report your complaint to the Ombudsman, who has a broader mandate for safeguarding human rights.
important If you seek compensation for an act of discrimination, you could consider bringing a claim before a court. It's important to be aware that using the procedures offered by the Equality Council or filing a complaint with the Ombudsman is entirely optional and does not extend the statute of limitations for discrimination-related legal actions.
Equality Council
The Equality Council reviews complaints based on all grounds and across various sectors, both public and private, including education, employment, and the provision of goods and services. You have up to one year after the alleged violation to submit a complaint to the Council.
The Equality Council is entitled to examine the facts presented in your complaint and may conduct further investigations by seeking information from relevant parties. Following the examination, the Council will issue a decision that concludes whether an act of discrimination occurred or not. If discrimination is found, the decision will include prescriptions and recommendations on how to address the situation.
You have the right to appeal the Council's decisions to the court in accordance with the Administrative Code.
If the Equality Council founds that the facts examined qualify as a contravention, will issue a protocol of contravention and submit the case material to the competent court for sanctioning.
If it founds that the acts contain elements of a criminal offense, the Council sends the materials to the law enforcement agencies for further investigation.
More information is available here: Equality Council.
Ombudsman
The Ombudsman is a national institution for human rights, that also assumes responsibilities for implementing the principle of equality and non-discrimination. The Ombudsman is entitled to facilitate mediation agreements in cases, issue advisory opinions, initiate legal proceedings in court, issue opinions, refer cases to the Constitutional Court, and propose legislative improvements.
More information is available here: Ombudsman.