Defensor del Pueblo - About us - What is he?

The Article 54  of the Spanish Constitution establishes that an organic act shall regulate the Defensor del Pueblo Institution under the high commissioner of Parliament, appointed by it in order to defend basic rights, and authorised to supervise the activities of Public Administrations. Regulations governing the Organisation and Functioning of the Defensor del Pueblo, approved by the procedures committees of Congress and Senate, at the proposal of the Defensor del Pueblo, Organic Act 3/1981, April 6th Regarding the Ombudsman, which regulates the institution, were published in order to fulfil this constitutional mandate.

The Defensor del Pueblo is elected by the members of Parliament for a five-year period through a voting process, which requires a majority of three fifths.

The Defensor del Pueblo is not subjected to any imperative mandates, does not receive instructions from any authority, performs his functions with autonomy and enjoys immunity during his permanence in the post.

The Defensor del Pueblo shall be assisted by the First Deputy Defensor del Pueblo and the Second Deputy Defensor del Pueblo, to whom he may delegate his duties and who are appointed after obtaining Parliamentary approval and, together with the Secretary General, they constitute the Junta de Coordinación y Régimen Interior, (Coordination and Internal Regime Board), the competences of which are defined in section 18 of the Structure and Organisation Regulations.