Since 2016, there has been a significant trend in the cases brought before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The Court is seeing a growing number of cases filed by judges who feel their independence has been undermined and are seeking legal redress. Attacks on judges appear to form a consistent trend throughout the region, rather than being occasional or random incidents. Cases are coming from all over the region.
“Such a phenomenon had not arisen in the Court’s nearly seventy-year history,” mentions Canòlic Mingorance Cairat, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights.
These applications, and the clear shift they represent, draw attention to the threats facing our democracies and the rule of law crisis identified by the ECtHR, which the region is now experiencing. One key question is how judges should speak publicly about the importance of judicial independence and, more broadly, preserving the rule of law.
“In each case, judges were not speaking as individuals pursuing personal interests. They were speaking as citizens with a constitutional responsibility — about the institution they serve, and the conditions under which it can function.” Highlights Cristi Danilet, a former Romanian judge, who recently obtained a European Court of Human Rights decision that confirmed his freedom of expression was violated.
Prague, February 2025: The CEE Judicial Network Responds
Against this backdrop, the CEELI Institute held a conference in Prague with the CEELI CEE Judicial Exchange Network — a cross-border network of judges and court professionals from across the region — on the theme of “Judicial Communication with the Public and the Media.”
The discussions centred on important areas of judicial communication, such as managing communication during crises, ensuring responsible court reporting, interacting with both traditional and digital media, and developing strategies to address misinformation and disinformation.
CEELI Executive Director Robert Strang set the tone in his opening remarks
“The best learning comes from sharing experiences of professionals across jurisdictions.”
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