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    The Influence of Public Opinion and Media on Judicial Decision-Making: Elite Judges’ Perceptions and Strategies


    Hanych, Monika, Smekal, Hubert and Benák, Jaroslav (2023) The Influence of Public Opinion and Media on Judicial Decision-Making: Elite Judges’ Perceptions and Strategies. International Journal for Court Administration (IJCA), 14 (3). pp. 1-19. ISSN 2156-7964

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    Abstract

    Numerous studies have established that public opinion and the media influence judges in their decision-making. Previous research has relied predominantly on quantitative approaches. This paper brings a new perspective by employing a different strategy. Based on in-depth interviews with justices of the Czech Constitutional Court, it shows how elite judges think about public opinion and media, and the influence of these on judicial decision-making. The paper creates a typology of different judicial styles and attitudes towards media and public opinion. It shows that one polar category of judges employs deliberate strategies to affect the media and draw public opinion on their side. In contrast, the opposite one seeks to minimize or even avoid public and media exposure.
    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: judges; public opinion; media; judicial decision-making; constitutional courts; judicial politics;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Social Sciences > Law
    Item ID: 17925
    Identification Number: 10.36745/ijca.528
    Depositing User: Hubert Smekal
    Date Deposited: 12 Dec 2023 11:16
    Journal or Publication Title: International Journal for Court Administration (IJCA)
    Publisher: International Association for Court Administration
    Refereed: Yes
    Related URLs:
    URI: https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/17925
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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