The Communication strategy of the Judicial Council and Courts for 2024 - 2026 and the 2024 Action Plan were presented to court presidents, press judges and the Judicial Council's members. The Strategy defines ways of communicating with public and media, contributing to greater accountability of the judicial system and better judicial outcomes for citizens.
The Strategy and Action Plan were developed under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.”
President of the Judicial Council of Montenegro, Radoje Korać reiterated that in modern and democratic societies trust in judiciary is crucial for the legitimacy of the political system. “The Judicial Council plays a particular role in increasing judicial transparency, and therefore members of the Council, but also other judicial actors need to take an active part in informing and educating the public, to ultimately restore and rebuild citizens' trust in judicial institutions “, Korać concluded.
Acting President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro, Vesna Vučković said: "The public must be provided with accurate, verified and up-to-date information about the functioning of the judiciary. We need to take care of protecting citizens' rights and freedoms, while reaching a delicate balance between the right of the public to know and the interest of individuals."
Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, Lejla Dervišagić, said that the Strategy is meant to improve communication between the judiciary and the public. “The Strategy will be also beneficial for journalists, thanks to improved and proactive approach of judicial institutions to media relations”, Dervišagić said, emphasising that the presentation was organised in synergy between two Horizontal Facility actions, Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims’ rights in Montenegro and Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Montenegro.
The Supreme Court judge and Chief Spokesperson, Vesna Jočić stated that an ambitious Action Plan for 2024 was developed, encompassing meetings with journalists and representatives of the non-governmental sector and training of judges on communicating with the media, but also some new projects of strategic interest to judiciary.
The Judicial Council's member, judge Rade Ćetković emphasised that the purpose of the Strategy is to increase the public's trust in the work of the courts and the Judicial Council, by strengthening their transparency.
