Rules, procedures and practices of the right to petition parliaments - A fundamental right to a process

This study, commissioned by the European Parliament's Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Petitions (PETI), provides an overview of the right to petition and the rules, procedures and practices used by parliaments for handling petitions, notably in terms of the submission of petitions, admissibility criteria, powers of consideration and criteria for closing petitions. The study also discusses publicity and feedback provided by petitions systems and the relationship between petitions systems and ombudsmen.