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Publication of Guidelines on ethical usage of social media by judges and public prosecutors

Following several months of research, which included intensive surveying of holders of judicial office, the joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Strengthening independence and accountability of the judiciary” produced the Guidelines on ethical usage of social media by judges and public prosecutors. The guidelines were developed in close co-operation with the Ethics Committees of the Serbian High Judicial Council (HJC) and State Prosecutorial Council (SPC). They are intended to be used by holders of judicial office as they contain the mapping of potential risks to be encountered while using social media, and they also feature practical tips to address the most common challenges.

Judge Omer Hadžiomerović, President of the HJC Ethics Committee, stressed in his foreword to the Guidelines that they will certainly be of great use not only to judges who exercise their freedom of expression through social networks, but also to the newly formed Ethics Committee.

Member of the SPC Ethics Committee, Professor Jovan Babić underlined that the Guidelines represent a very good basis for ethical regulation of the increasingly present and significant problematic situations in our new reality which opens new perspectives, but also produces unforeseen risks and dangers.

The authors of the publications emphasise that the presence of holders of judicial office on social media potentially has an unforeseeable impact on public perception of the entire judicial branch. Whether that impact will be positive and bring significant benefits through direct contact with citizens and other institutions, greater transparency and modernisation of public communication, or negative due to ignorance of psychological and emotional risks inherent in Internet culture, as well as the inability to distinguish between the private and public spheres – greatly depends on the familiarity with the specifics of the digital media environment.

The action “Strengthening independence and accountability of the judiciary” is part of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019 - 2022”, the joint European Union and the Council of Europe programme, which aims at assisting beneficiaries in the Western Balkans region and Turkey to comply with the Council of Europe standards and European Union acquis in the framework of the enlargement process, where relevant.

Belgrade 21 December 2021
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Strengthening independence and accountability of the judiciary

 

What is the goal?


► building the capacities of judges, prosecutors, judicial and prosecutorial assistants to detect and counter risks of undue influence
► reinforcing internal mechanisms, rules and procedures within the High Judicial Council (HJC) and the State Prosecutorial Council (SPC) to guarantee judicial and prosecutorial independence.


Who benefits from the Action?


► the High Judicial Council, the State Prosecutorial Council, the Judicial Academy and the Ministry of Justice
► court users will benefit from a more transparent and effective judiciary
► Serbian citizens will benefit from the judiciary that is more independent and accountable.


How will the Action work?


► through expert advice/opinions, round tables, expert meetings/working groups, training session, peer-to-peer discussions organised in co-operation with beneficiaries
► through preparing publications that will contribute to strengthening the independence and the accountability of the judiciary and of the prosecutorial service of the Republic of Serbia and to improving the public confidence in the judicial system.


What do we expect to achieve?


► The establishment of a fair and merit-based system of performance evaluation and career advancement of judicial professionals
► The enhancement of the co-operation and the information flow between the executive and the judiciary.


How much will it cost?


► The total budget of the Action is 750.000 EUR.
► The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).


How to get more information?


► Directorate General I: Human Rights and Rule of Law https://www.coe.int/en/web/human-rights-rule-of-law
► Horizontal Facility website: https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/horizontal-facility/home
► Marija Simić, Horizontal Facility Communication Officer, [email protected], +381 63 601 337
Besnik Baka, Horizontal Facility Communication Officer, [email protected], +355 69 217 8430

HORIZONTAL FACILITY II