The Public Defender of Rights is an independent body of the Slovak Republic. His/her mission is to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens in conflict with legal order or principles of a democratic and legal state in acting, decision-making, or inactivity of a public administration body.

His/her role is to draw attention to violations and propose recommendations to remedy the identified shortcomings. Public Defender of Rights does not have the power to change the decisions of the concerned institutions but to use soft power and arguments to persuade authorities to accept the recommendations he/she has proposed to remedy the situation in which is being made the violation.