Administration of justice and rights protection in administration – MCC Visiting Fellow at the Curia and at the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights

The historical aspects and the operation of the current model of Hungarian administration of justice and separate administrative adjudication stood in the focus of the visit of our Visiting Fellow. During the exchange of ideas, the efforts of the Curia to support the uniformity of judicial practice and the uniformity complaint, interpreted as a restricted precedent-system have been addressed. Prof. Dr. András Zs. Varga, the President of the Curia and Prof. Wurman have discussed Euro-American parallels and differences in terms of the topics discussed.

The purpose of the visit to the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights was to shed light on an institution unknown in the United States. In addition to the presentation of the historical evolution of the institution of the ombudsman (Commissioner), the talks have touched upon the most important and most characteristic competences, with special focus on the OPCAT-proceedings conducted in connection with torture and inhuman treatment, and to the (administrative) proceedings that are conducted in terms of equal treatment and equality and those conducted in light of grievances and violations realized through police activity. Associate Professor Wurman has said that no institution similar to the Hungarian ombudsman is known in the US legal system, but the activity of the so-called inspector generals can be compared to it, responsible for overseeing the proper operation of administrative activities from a professional standpoint in the several sectors of the federal government.