The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH) organised the thematic conference about the work of the judiciary and the media, in Teslic on 18 January 2016, within the framework of the EU-funded project ‘Consolidation and Further Development of the Justice Communication and Information System’.
Given the importance of presenting the activities and results of the work of judicial institutions to the media and informing the citizens of the courts and prosecutors’ offices work, the conference focused on the relevance and impact of public relations on widening the outreach of the judiciary, particularly to better inform citizens in BiH.
The activities of the HJPC related to public relations and the practice of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina were presented during the conference. In addition, the role and importance of communicating with the public was also a topic of discussion.
The Conference gathered over 50 participants, including court presidents, spokespersons and associates of the courts.
Vice President of the HJPC Ruzica Jukic pointed out that the conference aimed to examine the current situation and define the future steps needed to improve the cooperation with the media and communication between judicial institutions and public, and added that “by undertaking activities in this field, the aim is to improve the understanding of citizens of the operations of judicial institutions and the numerous challenges they face“. “I am sure that the openness can provide understanding and support of the public in view of our efforts related to reforms and institutional advancement. Finally, we wish to establish strategic communication and provide courts with the support to improve their capacities in management of public relations and cooperation with the media,“ Jukic said.
Una Kelly, Senior Programme Manager for the Justice Sector at the Delegation of the EU to BiH underlined that not only must justice be done, it must also be seen to be done. She emphasised that publicity was a key component in the right to a fair trial and also stressed the importance of making decisions accessible to the public and explaining such decisions. She added that the media should report on judicial successes and progress in an impartial manner without jeopardising personal data or legal procedures.
The conference reached following conclusions:
1. Courts should improve communication and cooperation with the media and courts‘ beneficiaries, and by so doing, improve their access to justice and transparency of the judiciary in BiH.
2. Human resources of the courts need to be strengthened to develop skills in public relations with the aim of better informing the public on the work of judicial institutions and improving the public perception of the judiciary.
3. Public relations guidelines all courts should be prepared, taking into account the positive legislation of the country.
4. Training on public relations and communication for the judiciary should be continued.
By recognising the importance of judicial efficiency as a crucial precondition for the European integration, the EU financed the 1.8 million EUR project entitled ‘Consolidation and Further Development of the Judicial Communication and Information System’ from IPA 2012 funds. The Project signalled the beginning of a new phase in the development of the judicial information system in BiH and continued activities aimed at improving the efficiency of the judiciary which will lead to the development of new functionalities and ensure the sustainability of the Case Management System (CMS), reduce the number of unresolved cases and the number of war crime cases in the courts as well as increase public confidence and widen the outreach of the judiciary. A follow-up EU financed project of 1.8 million EUR with the HJPC will soon commence to further support the issue of the judiciary and the media, amongst other areas.
