Communication of the courts, use of social media

Details: Published: June 24, 2024

On the podium (from left to right): Katrin Latki-Baier, PR and Communications Consultant, Brigitte Koppenhöfer, Former Presiding Judge at Düsseldorf Regional Court, Lore Binder, Project Manager, IRZ, Mustaf Tahiri, President of Ferizaj Local Court.

Kosovo

The internal and external communication of the courts and the use of social media play an important role in the external impact of the judiciary and so these topics were the focus of a workshop in June 2024 in Pristina, organised by IRZ in cooperation with the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC).

IRZ has been supporting Kosovar courts on communication issues for several years. At this event, judges took part for the first time alongside the press spokespersons of the courts.

The aim of this workshop, led by Brigitte Koppenhöfer, former presiding judge at Düsseldorf Regional Court, and Katrin Latki-Baier, PR and communications consultant, was to promote professional press and public relations work in the courts in order to strengthen transparency and the public's trust in the judiciary.

Communication of the courts with the media

In addition to the focus on "social media", the topic of "communication between judicial authorities and the media" received special attention. This aspect was of great importance to the judiciary, as many judges are unsure how to deal with media enquiries. In principle, they must be very careful when making public statements so as not to jeopardise the independence and neutrality of the judiciary. At the same time, they are faced with the challenge of presenting complex legal issues in a way that is understandable to laypeople.

The experts also emphasised the importance of cooperation between judges and press offices as well as clear coordination processes in order to send well thought-out messages. They emphasised the strengthening of internal communication towards effective cooperation between the judiciary and press officers as a decisive factor for success.

Use of social media by judicial authorities

The speakers emphasised the growing importance of social media platforms to communicate directly and promptly with the public. They presented various strategies and best practices on how courts can use social media to increase their reach, create transparency and strengthen the trust of the public. They highlighted both the opportunities and the challenges.

The event offered participants the opportunity to engage in dialogue, share experiences and build communication structures using practical case studies.