Institutional Court Communication in the Operation of the Court’s Press Office: A European Perspective

The paper focuses on the legal framework governing institutional courts’ communication within continental Europe. Courts cannot communicate solely by justifying their judgments in the era of open government and data. Both at the international level and within national legal regimes, there are provisions concerning the structure and tasks of courts’ press offices. This paper examines their existence, content, compliance with the European soft law standards (CEPEJ and ENCJ), as well as suitability for professional court communication. The analysis examines various aspects, including the role of judicial spokespersons, their education and experience, the composition of press services, and the forms of proactive institutional court communication. Although it is not possible to establish a comprehensive legal framework (both at the legislative and sub-legislative levels) for the structure and tasks performed by press offices or spokespersons, their existence supports, or even conditions professional courts’ communication with the public. They should be composed of individuals with diverse educational backgrounds and experiences, including legal and non-legal education.