Dialogue between the judiciary and the media is important for building trust in the courts

Representatives of the Supreme Court took part in the dialogue “Transparency as a Prerequisite for Trust: Courts, Media and Society”, organized by the Aspen Institute Kyiv in cooperation with the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine.

In his welcoming remarks, President of the Supreme Court Stanislav Kravchenko emphasized that the judiciary exists not only to deliver decisions. Its role is also to ensure that society recognizes these decisions as fair and legitimate.

In this context, the role of the media becomes particularly important. The media not only inform the public about the activities of the courts, but also help explain the content of court decisions. Today, the interaction between the judiciary and responsible media is a key factor in building trust in society.

The dialogue was moderated by Andrii Kulakov, Coordinator of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Community Programme, and Denys Poltavets, Director of Programme Development at the Aspen Institute Kyiv.

The event was attended by Secretary of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court Serhii Pohribnyi, Judges of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court Oleksandr Banasko and Olena Bilokon, Supreme Court Judges in the Administrative Cassation Court Yan Bernaziuk, Andrii Zahorodniuk, and Volodymyr Kravchuk, Supreme Court Judge in the Commercial Cassation Court Yehor Krasnov, Supreme Court Judges in the Civil Cassation Court Vasyl Krat, Nataliia Sakara, and Vladyslav Shypovych, Supreme Court Judges in the Criminal Cassation Court Serhii Fomin and Oleksandra Yanovska, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Freedom of Speech Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, as well as representatives of legal and socio-political media.  

During the discussion, the participants focused on the balance between media freedom and judicial independence, as well as on the principles of communication that promote openness, mutual understanding, and greater trust between the courts, the journalistic community, and the public.

The dialogue confirmed the shared understanding that transparency and responsible communication are key conditions for building trust in the judiciary.