Projects / Programmes
The effectiveness of systemic surveillance of the police in the field of respect for human rights and legal and professional standards of police work
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.05.00 |
Social sciences |
Law |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S000 |
Social sciences |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.05 |
Social Sciences |
Law |
Police, control, control over police, human rights, legality, professional standards.
Researchers (4)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
20512 |
PhD Benjamin Flander |
Law |
Head |
2019 - 2021 |
326 |
| 2. |
17048 |
PhD Branko Lobnikar |
Administrative and organisational sciences |
Researcher |
2019 - 2021 |
1,225 |
| 3. |
33280 |
PhD Maja Modic |
Criminology and social work |
Researcher |
2019 - 2021 |
257 |
| 4. |
14566 |
PhD Bojan Tičar |
Law |
Researcher |
2019 - 2021 |
298 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Ensuring security for individuals, respecting fundamental rights and strengthening the rule of law is a mission accomplished by the Slovenian Police with the implementation of their statutory tasks and powers. Restricting to a greater or lesser extent the fundamental rights of individuals while exercising their powers, the police are rightly one of the most supervised state institutions.
In the literature, one can find various classification patterns of control over police. It is characteristic for most of these classifications that they make a distinction between internal and external control over police. The internal control is carried out within the framework of the police organization. It is aimed at detecting violations of the fundamental rights, legality and professional rules in the execution of police tasks. Also very important for the police to operate in accordance with the democratic principles and standards of the rule of law is the external control. This form of supervision of police includes the powers of political, judicial and independent state bodies. The external supervision of police is also carried out by international intergovernmental organizations, domestic and international non-governmental organizations, the media and the citizens.
The internal control of the legality and professional conduct of the police is regulated by the Organization and Work in the Police Act. The police are responsible for internal control and security in such a way as to prevent, detect, evaluate and analyze possible risks that undermine the internal security and integrity of police officers and the police as a state body. Supervision of the work of the police organizational units can be general, professional or recurrent. While direct supervision may be carried out by the heads of police units, on the basis of the decision of the Director General and directors of police administrations the direct supervision is also exercised by the employees of the general police administration and police administrations. Special tasks in the internal control system are given to the Internal control and integrity sector. With regard to the performance of tasks, the exercise of powers and the use of coercive measures, the internal control within the police also includes a reporting and control system, which is regulated by the Police Tasks and Powers Act (ZNPPol)
As an agent of external control, the Government exercises its supervision of the police indirectly, i.e. through the direction and guidance of the state administration. The Government must ensure that ministries and their bodies exercise their powers in accordance with the legal and professional standards and in a coordinated manner. The government’s supervision of the police as a body within the Ministry of the Interior (MNZ) is carried out, in the first place, with the appointment and dismissal of the Director General of the Police. A direct control over the police within the executive branch, however, is exercised with the systemic supervision by the Ministry of the Interior. The legal basis for the systemic supervision within the Ministry is provided by the Organization and Work in the Police Act and Rules on Police Guidance and Inspection. The Ministry supervises all areas of police work, which are fundamental for the effective and efficient execution of police tasks and the use of police powers. The supervision is triggered by the Minister with a written order and carried out by the Directorate for the Police and Other Security Tasks in the framework of regular, extraordinary and renewed inspections.
Another form of supervision over the police by the Ministry of the Interior is the resolution of complaints against the actual procedures of police officers. The current format of appeal has maintained two levels of the appeal procedure, which have been introduced with the 2008 amendments to the ZNPPol. In the reconciliation procedure, the complaint is dealt with in the
Significance for science
Assuming that the objectives of the proposed research project will be realized successfully, the project will certainly contribute importantly to the development of security studies and the security profession as well as police law and the police profession. Moreover, the results of the proposed project will be important for the development of human rights law as a special legal discipline, which has recently witnessed a significant progress in Slovenia. Additionally, the results of the proposed research project will also contribute to the development of organizational sciences and management in the public sector, police and other security organizations in Slovenia.
Significance for the country
Although not directly linked to the economy, the results of the proposed research project may be important for this area too. A successful transfer of knowledge into practice and realization of the project’s objectives will have a positive impact on the further development of democratic control over the Slovenian Police and further improvement of the professionalism and quality of police work. Finally, it will contribute to a safer and more (economically) successful society.
