Transparency in judiciary is not just a principle—it is a fundamental requirement for a functioning democracy – this was the key message voiced at the workshops organised by the Council of Europe for courts and prosecution offices, and dedicated to development of actions plans for the implementation of judicial communication strategies in 2025.

After collecting input from the media community during the previous roundtables, these workshops enabled heads of prosecution offices, courts presidents, press judges and press prosecutors to discuss the challenges and effects of action plans in 2024, while outlining a set of priorities and measures for 2025, focusing on media outreach, and community engagement and education to ensure that citizens receive quality information about the work of judiciary.

Recognising the increasing need for transparency, especially in challenging circumstances, the Judicial Court and the Supreme Court have also taken proactive steps towards developing a comprehensive Crisis Communication Protocol for courts, to ensure that accurate, timely, and consistent information reaches media and the public.

Believing that courts are not only venues for dispute resolution but pillars of public trust and transparency, how they communicate, whether on procedural matters or high-profile cases, has a profound impact on the public trust in their judiciail system.

These activities were jointly organised by the Actions "Protecting freedom of expression and of the media" (PROFREX-M), implemented by the Council of Europe Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression, and "Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims' rights in Montenegro" both of which are part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye".