The paradigm that “a judge speaks only through their decisions” does not hold when the rule of law is under threat - Spokesperson Judge of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court

This was emphasized by spokesperson judge of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, Kostiantyn Pilkov, at the two-day International Conference “Judicial Communication with the Media and the Public. Judicial Independence, the Rule of Law and Public Trust”, organized by the CEELI Institute. Spokesperson judge of the Supreme Court at the Civil Cassation Court, Nataliia Sakara, also took part in the event.

The high-level regional conference for representatives of the judiciary and judges from across Central and Eastern Europe focused on the increasingly important role of judicial communication in safeguarding the rule of law and judicial independence. Approximately 60 judges from 20 countries participated in the event.

As noted by the organizers, courts across the region operate in a rapidly evolving environment characterized by heightened public scrutiny, accelerated news cycles, the pervasive influence of social media, and the growing spread of misinformation. These challenges are further compounded by increasing pressure, which is more frequently directed at judicial institutions and individual judges. In this context, effective, purposeful, and coordinated communication with the public and the media has become an essential strategic function of the judiciary rather than a secondary activity.

Kostiantyn Pilkov delivered a presentation entitled “The judge’s public voice: balancing ethical limits of judicial speech with the duty to protect the rule of law”.

His speech focused on the transformation of freedom of expression for judges – from a framework defined by requirements of restraint, impartiality, and political neutrality – into an ethical and legal duty to speak out in defence of fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as democratic values.

The judge pointed out that the traditional paradigm that “a judge speaks only through their decisions” no longer holds in today’s environment, in which courts are also subject to information attacks and face the need to build effective communication with society. He also referred to examples from national judicial practice illustrating the proposition that, in situations where democracy is under threat, a judge may be compelled to take an active stance in its defence.

The CEELI Institute is an independent international non-profit organization that provides professional legal education and judicial training. Its mission is to support and strengthen the rule of law and promote judicial independence. The Institute is headquartered in Prague (Czech Republic).