Transparency is a condition for building public trust in the work of the courts, which should see the media as strategic partners.
This was ordered from the round table "Communication between the judiciary and the media; Standards of freedom of expression and distribution of information on criminal proceedings", organized by the Program Office of the Council of Europe (CoE), the Supreme Court and the Center for Training in the Judiciary and State Prosecution.
The Acting President of the Supreme Court, Vesna Vučković, said that the communication of information at the moment when the event is happening, accurate, complete and clear for all those who receive it, is of particular importance.
"That alone brings and contributes to the transparency of the courts, which is a condition for building public trust in its work," said Vučković.
She said that care must be taken to protect the basic human rights of individuals while finding a subtle relationship between the interest of the public to know, on the one hand, and the individual, on the other.
Vučković pointed out that the public should be familiar with key information about the work of the courts, accurate, up-to-date and verified information about its work, in order to ensure the rule of law, especially in the prevention and management of crisis situations.
According to her, the degree of protection of basic rights and freedoms of citizens reflects the rule of law.
As she stated, courts have a special importance in reporting.
"For ongoing procedures, the information they provide should be understood by everyone, especially when reporting on highly sensitive matters," said Vučković.
According to her, the courts should and do see the media as strategic partners in creating a positive public attitude.
"In the course of the process so far, we have recommended the adoption of an action plan with a strategy aimed at efficiency and effectiveness, and we commend such an approach," Vučković said.
The head of the SE Program Office in Podgorica, Lejla Dervišagić, said that the judiciary and the media are the basic foundations of a democratic society.
She said that an independent judiciary is a prerequisite for the rule of law, and freedom of expression and freedom of the media, the right to provide and the right to information, is one of the basic human rights.
"The rule of law and respect for human rights are the foundations of a democratic society," added Dervišagić.
She said that cooperation between judicial institutions and the media is very important.
"The transparency of the judiciary is necessary for gaining citizens' trust in judicial institutions, and the media can play a key role in that," said Dervišagić.
SE, as she added, through projects with the EU, has started creating a strategy for the courts and the Judicial Council for 2023-2026. year.
"The right to a fair trial, the presumption of innocence, the right to privacy and the right to information are protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, and when reporting, the balance between those rights and the right to information is very complex," said Dervišagić.
Supreme Court judge and chief judge spokeswoman Vesna Jočić said that only accurate, precise, timely and transparent information can result in correct and professional cooperation between the courts and the media.
She emphasized that all legal restrictions that the courts must respect must be taken into account.
"Building correct and mutually trusting relationships, which are solely in the interest of the public's right to know, must be resolved by both the judiciary and the media," emphasized Jočić.
She said that this is why the Supreme Court, with the invaluable help of the SE program office and in cooperation with the Center for Training in the Judiciary and Prosecutor's Office, organized a day-long round table to see where they understand each other and where they don't.
"I hope for the maximum openness of representatives of the media and the judiciary, in order to define guidelines for future cooperation," said Jočić.
Acting Director of the Center for Training in the Judiciary and the State Prosecutor's Office, Maša Adžić, said that education on this topic contributes to strengthening the capacity of the judiciary, through the establishment of good practices in public relations, which aims to achieve a greater degree of public trust in the judiciary.
"The judiciary and the media have the same requirement in fulfilling their social role - to be free and independent," said Adžić.
According to her, the right to freedom of expression and information is one of the foundations of every democracy, and the main starting point should be human rights.
"Everyone has the right to exercise their rights in criminal proceedings, as well as everyone has the right to privacy. "When there is a conflict of interests protected by Articles 6, 8 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, it is necessary to provide a balance and achieve a balance between these rights," Adžić said.
She said that transparency is an important guarantee of a fair trial.
"The media must be allowed to report on criminal proceedings, as well as how the courts do their job in combating crime," Adžić said.
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