THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN ACHIEVING A FAIR TRIAL IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO

Abstract

Transparency of the courts and access to public documents are considered as basic principles that directly affect citizens' trust in judicial institutions, and are the primary vehicles for increasing the levels of accountability and responsibility in the judiciary system. A link and line of communication between institutions and the public is mainly done through the media, a global trend that also applies in the Republic of Kosovo. Media as judiciary monitors the work of the judiciary, continuously reporting to the public and informing them of the work these institutions do, their challenges and successes, their adherence to human rights, and even their violations. In short, as the courts divide justice, the media sees how it is shared. This article aims to reflect the real state of the media’s role in Kosovo as a factor of attaining fair trial, based on Kosovo’s criminal legislation and provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and Freedoms. For a comparison between them and the case of law, some of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg have been taken into account. The Constitution of Kosovo guarantees the human rights and freedoms enshrined in this Convention.