On 27 January 2006 the Polish Sejm elected Doctor of Law Janusz Kochanowski to the post of Ombudsman. The Sejm’s decision has already been approved by the Senate and the new Ombudsman will take office after being sworn in. (03-FEB-06)

Janusz Kochanowski’s candidature was put forward by the right-wing party Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwoœæ – PiS). It was also backed by the parliamentary clubs Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland (Samoobrona) and League of Polish Families (Liga Polskich Rodzin). The liberal conservative party Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) and the Democratic Left Alliance (Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej), which voted against this candidate, accused him of not being politically independent (connections with PiS) and not having the competence and authority needed to hold this position.

Janusz Kochanowski is a Doctor of Law and a lecturer at the Law Department of Warsaw University. Since 1995 he has been a member of the District Council of Legal Counselors in Warsaw. Since 2000 he has held the position of president of the Ius et Lex Foundation and is the editor-in-chief of a magazine of the same name. He is known for his controversial views on inter alia the reinstatement of the death penalty.         

In Poland, the Ombudsman is selected by the Sejm with the consent of the Senate for a term of 5 years. The Polish Constitution states that the Ombudsman protects the liberties and rights of humans and citizens. The Ombudsman may, among others, demand explanations from institutions responsible for decision-making, join proceedings held before a court, as well as appeal to the Constitutional Tribunal against regulations that he believes contradict the Constitution.