JUDICIAL SYMBOLS IN COMMUNICATIONS

Abstract

The article reviews the authors’ complex research of judicial symbolism. The meaning of the main judicial symbols, their formation, cultural and historical context in which they arose, issues of use the judicial symbols in social communications are considered in the article. Judicial symbolism includes actional, visual, verbal and spatial judicial symbols which could be classified according to the criterion of the way of the meaning’s transmission and perception. Actional symbols refer to the expression of meanings through action: this includes regulation of the judicial process, which has a certain order to be observed by the participants of the court hearing. Visual symbols represent certain elements of judicial symbolism, where the main is the visual perception, through which the appropriate interpretation of the symbolic meaning and understanding of the values of justice and the principle of the rule of law is carried out. This includes the robe, medallion, works of fine art as an aesthetically significant communication, in which the themes of the court are being interpreted. Verbal symbols – verbal standardized phrasing that mean respect for the court and present the judge (judges) as representatives of the state in whose name they administer justice. Spatial symbols mean structuring the courtroom and determining the semantics of the court building, in particular its interior design and exterior appearance, pointing out to the principles and values of justice. The above set of the means of representation of the symbols should be understood as a holistic text in which each type of judicial symbols is agreed and complemented with others, in order to achieve the main communicative objective, i.e. to convey the meaning of a fair justice, rule of law and respect for the court as an integral part of civil society. Judicial symbolism is characterized by systemic nature in which the individual elements are integrally connected and interdependent. The patterns of formation, structuring and understanding of individual elements of judicial symbolism should be analysed from the standpoint of a holistic vision of its purpose and objectives in the context of the communication process targeted at society.