Most people never enter a courtroom, so their view of the judiciary is shaped by the media, social networks and other people. The guidelines argue that "people cannot trust what they cannot understand": if courts do not explain their role, decisions and constraints, others will do it for them, often inaccurately or with harmful intent. Communication never replaces the substance of judicial work, but it makes that work visible and strengthens public trust.

Both models are used, and many countries combine them. Judge-spokespersons bring legal authority and accuracy; professional spokespersons bring media skills, time for proactive outreach, and they keep judges out of public debate. The guidelines compare the advantages and disadvantages of each, with real-life examples from Romania (judge-spokesperson model), Estonia (mixed model), Albania and Croatia.

The guidelines divide crisis communication into three phases: before, during and after the crisis. Courts should prepare in advance with a crisis team, a response plan and pre-approved procedures. Once a crisis breaks, the first hour (the "golden hour") is critical: a credible, accurate and calm response fills the information space before speculation spreads. Afterwards, the institution should review what happened and learn from it.

The guidelines note that people increasingly ask AI tools about the courts and that AI can produce confident but false answers. They advise judiciaries to publish clear, consistent, structured, plain-language content - such as FAQs, definitions, explainers and fact sheets - on stable official websites, so that AI systems draw on accurate information. AI can help with drafting and editing, but every output must be checked by a person.

Yes. International standards hold that judges keep their freedom of expression, but with special duties of restraint. The guidelines give practical dos and don'ts: post only what you would be comfortable seeing on the front page of a newspaper, keep a professional tone even in personal posts, be careful with friend requests and "likes", and avoid connections with people who regularly appear before you in court. Judges should not comment on pending cases.