19 April, TASHKENT – A training seminar ‘Judicial immunity and freedom of speech: problems and solutions’ was held today for 30 court staff and judges from across Uzbekistan, on the ethical complexities these professionals face when using digital communication channels to engage journalists and citizens. This seminar was co-organized by the Supreme Judicial Council of Uzbekistan and the ‘Rule of Law Partnership in Uzbekistan’ project of the Supreme Court, USAID and UNDP, and was hosted by the Supreme School of Judges. 

Strengthening the ability of Uzbekistan’s courts to effectively engage with journalists, and through them the broader public, has been a focus of the Rule of Law project’s work to improve the openness and transparency of Uzbekistan’s judiciary. This open communication helps improve public awareness of how courts operate, while also building citizens’ trust that courts work primarily to protect their rights, but it must be implemented with care to protect staff’s judicial immunity and ensure justice is done.

The project’s work in this direction has included its assistance in formulating the 2020 Supreme Court Resolution ‘On ensuring the openness of judicial proceedings and the right to get information on court activities’, which officially opened courts to journalists. Other steps taken in creating an effective professional culture of court journalism have been the organizing of media tours to Uzbekistan’s regional courts, and joint seminars and trainings for judges, court staff, journalists and bloggers. 

Today’s seminar opened with remarks by the Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council of Uzbekistan Kholmumin Yodgorov, followed by the UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Matilda Dimovska. These talks highlighted the progress made to date in strengthening the public face of nationwide courts.

Following this, Jonathan Peters, Ph.D, Associate Professor of the College of Journalism and Mass Communication, and Affiliate Professor at the School of Law of the University of Georgia, delivered a presentation on how court staff use social media in the United States. He explained the fine line that judges and their colleagues in the US must walk in ensuring the public remains informed of what takes place in courtrooms, while also protecting rights to justice and a fair trial. 

A concluding discussion then considered how the practices outlined in Dr. Peters’ presentation could be applied to Uzbekistan’s courts, considering unique national circumstances. 

Throughout the ‘Rule of Law Partnership in Uzbekistan’ project’s current final year of operation, varied initiatives have been planned to help create stronger court-journalist relations to benefit all citizens of Uzbekistan. Intended work in this direction will include establishing dedicated public relations and communications staff at regional courts countrywide, further enhancing courts’ online presence including on social media, and holding regular meetings between judges, courts staff and journalists.