[2] The constitution and law prohibit Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, arbitrary arrest and detention.
The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected this provision in practice.
If the appellant or a legal representative makes no physical appearance before the court within the 15-day period then the appeal is declared void.
The constitution and law provide for the freedom of assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights in practice.
The constitution and law provide for freedom of religion, and the government generally respected this right in practice.
General Council elections in April 2005 were considered free and fair and allowed the conservative Liberal Party of Andorra to remain in power.
The ombudsman, who is elected by consensus of all political parties, is authorized to hear and investigate complaints by private citizens against government officials or agencies.
The ombudsman advised the government to follow World Health Organization recommendations concerning work and residence permits for immigrants.
The government's denial of permits to people with certain diseases, including those affected by HIV, is a practice that the ombudsman stated could violate human rights.
According to the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Family, violence against women increased during the year; the number of reports of physical abuse rose to approximately 110 cases.
Victims of domestic violence could request help from the AIWA and the AWA, but rarely filed a complaint with the police for fear of reprisal.
Authorities reported that the number of persons prosecuted for violence against women during the year increased, but they did not provide statistics.
The government and the AIWA placed abused women and their children in the private apartments of people who agreed to provide shelter to them.
Observers estimated that women earned 35 percent less than men for comparable work; this gap appeared to be decreasing slowly.
Although violence against children was a problem, according to the secretariat of state for the family, the number of cases was low, and the incidence of child abuse continued to fall during the year.
The law prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, or in the provision of other state services, and the government enforced it effectively.
Nevertheless, societal discrimination against persons with disabilities existed on a small scale, in the form of social and cultural barriers.
The law mandates access to public buildings for persons with disabilities, and the government generally enforced this provision.
Some immigrant workers complained that although the law provides them the same labor rights as citizens, they were not treated the same in practice.
However, no further specific law has been developed to protect this right; thus workers are sometimes reluctant to admit to union membership, fearing retaliation by their employers.
The law allows unions to conduct their activities without interference, and the government respected this right in practice.