“Transparency is vital for an efficient functioning of the justice system, since it empowers courts and public prosecutors with trust and respect of the public, and at the same time promotes a positive image of judiciary,” as stated in the CEPEJ’s Guide on communication with the media and the public for courts and prosecution authorities (2018). Effective and co-ordinated communication is instrumental in achieving these objectives and bringing better outcomes for citizens.

Since 2019, the action “Accountability and professionalism of the judicial system in Montenegro” has been working on developing a strategic approach for effectively communicating the work of prosecutors, including in crisis situations. Significant investment was made to develop a comprehensive Communication Strategy of the State Prosecution Office and Prosecutorial Council for the period 2020/2022. Two Action Plans were developed and implemented so far to support effective communication strategies that are actionable, understandable and credible.

The new Action Plan for 2022 was also developed under the said action and adopted on 15 December at the online session of the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office. To build a more proactive approach towards the media and increase public trust into prosecutors’ work, the Action Plan puts forward a series of measures and channels, including media relations, and social, visual and online communications, to ensure that justice is transparent, people-centred and accountable. The Action Plan will be launched in the first months of 2022 and will also serve as a reference for continuous updates of prosecution staff members involved in communications.

The European Union and the Council of Europe are supporting the implementation of the Prosecution’s Communication Strategy under the action “Accountability and professionalism of the judicial system in Montenegro” which is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019 - 2022”.