In order to ensure the work of the Intelligence Ombudspersons, the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office shall be established to assist in carrying out inspections and investigations of activities of intelligence institutions, to examine complaints/reports of complainants and intelligence officers and to prepare methodological recommendations and/or consultations referred provided for in Article 24 of this Law as well as to assist the Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office in properly discharging the functions of the Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office.

The Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office shall be a budgetary institution financed from the state budget, having a bank settlement account and a seal with the Lithuanian state emblem and its name imprinted thereon.

The Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office shall be directed by the Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office.

The Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office shall consist of two Intelligence Ombudspersons, civil servants and contractual employees.

The civil servants and contractual employees of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office must meet the requirements set by legal acts necessary for the issuance of an authorisation to handle or familiarise with classified information. The job descriptions of the civil servants and contractual employees of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office must indicate the specific type of classified information for which the civil servants and contractual employees are required to obtain an authorisation to handle or familiarise with classified information.

The structure of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office, its tasks, functions and organisation of work shall be established by the Regulations of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office approved by the Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office.

The Seimas shall appoint one of the Intelligence Ombudspersons as the Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office on a recommendation of the Speaker of the Seimas after consideration by the Seimas committee exercising parliamentary scrutiny of intelligence institutions and the Seimas committee responsible for ensuring human rights and freedoms.

In addition to his/her direct duties of the Intelligence Ombudsperson, the Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office shall also discharge following functions:

1) direct the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office and organise its work;

2) distribute the complaints/reports received for examination;

3) adopt a decision to extend the time limit for examining a complaint/report where the Intelligence Ombudsperson conducting the investigation is temporarily incapacitated for work and therefore is temporarily unable to perform his/her duties;

4) represent the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office at institutions and agencies of the Republic of Lithuania and foreign countries as well as at international organisations;

5) ensure the efficient use of financial and other resources allocated for the activities of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office;

6) lay down requirements for internal administration of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office, ensuring of trustworthiness of the personnel, administration of classified information, physical security of classified information, security of classified contracts, protection of classified information communications and information systems, other internal security requirements and the procedure for implementing them;

7) recruit and release/dismiss civil servants and contractual employees of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office in accordance with the procedure laid down by law;

8) approve the Regulations of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office, regulations of structural divisions, rules of procedure of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office establishing internal rules of procedure, lists of positions and job descriptions of the civil servants and contractual employees thereof, set specific basic salary coefficients for the civil servants and contractual employees;

9) grant leave to the Intelligence Ombudsperson, the civil servants and contractual employees of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office and send them on business trips, traineeships;

10) adopt decisions on the improvement of qualifications of the civil servants and contractual employees of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office;

11) provide incentives to the civil servants and contractual employees of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office, impose disciplinary penalties on them or adopt decisions on the violation of employment or official duties;

12) organise the preparation and submission to the Seimas of an annual assessment of the lawfulness of the activities of intelligence institutions and a report on the activities of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office for the previous calendar year;

13) discharge other functions provided for by laws and other legal acts.

The Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office shall be the manager of state budgetary appropriations allocated to the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office.

The Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office shall issue orders on matters within his/her remit and control their execution, sign internal administration documents.

Where the Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office is on holiday or on a business trip outside the Republic of Lithuania for more than one day or is temporarily incapacitated for work and therefore temporarily unable to perform his/her duties, the other Intelligence Ombudsperson shall deputise for him/her.

The Seimas shall release the Head of the Intelligence Ombudspersons’ Office on a recommendation of the Speaker of the Seimas after consideration by the Seimas committee exercising parliamentary scrutiny of intelligence institutions and the Seimas committee responsible for ensuring human rights and freedoms.