The reputation of the Judge as a Prerequisite for the Formation of Trust and Respect for the Court (Judges): Ukraine’s Experience

Abstract

The article reveals the practical principles of building the reputation of judges as a prerequisite for the formation of respect and trust in the court and judges, based on the experience of Ukraine. It is established that there is a relatively low level of trust in courts and judges and the judiciary in general among citizens and society as a whole. It was found that mass media play a unique role in shaping the positive attitude of citizens towards the judiciary, as citizens usually receive information about judges and courts from the media. It is determined that the trust of society and citizens, in particular, is a critical element of the capacity of the judiciary, as well as one of the main indicators of its efficiency, so the judiciary in Ukraine should be based on trust, respect and confidence of citizens and society as a whole. It is established that judges exert the primary influence on increasing the level of public confidence in the activities of the judiciary, as it is these activities and the legality of the administration of justice that serve as the basis for forming the level of public confidence. It is proved that respect for the activities of the judiciary depends on 1) the professionalism of judges; 2) efficiency of execution of court decisions; 3) positive coverage of information about the activities of judges in mass media and its impact on the formation of respect for judges and the authority of the judiciary in the society; 4) respect for judges and bodies of the judiciary by politicians; 5) respect for judges and bodies of the judiciary by lawyers; 6) features of cleansing the judiciary from corruption; 7) conduct of judges at the time of consideration of court cases; 8) judges’ behavior in private life; 9) active involvement of judicial governing bodies in defending the status of independence of judges; 10) transparency of the judiciary. It is established that the image of judges provides grounds for establishing the level of public credibility of the judiciary. It is noted that the prospects for further research in this area are to study the practical principles of building the reputation of judges as a prerequisite for the formation of respect and trust in the court and judges in Europe.