Bringing the Supreme Court closer to the people
Our justice system needs to stay relevant and attuned to the times in order to serve the public more efficiently. Thus, the Supreme Court recently launched the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI). This plan “demonstrates the Supreme Court’s firm resolve to perform and deliver meaningful results on the judiciary’s fundamental function—to secure swift and fair justice for all.”
To inform the public more about SPJI, I had the privilege to do an interview with four Supreme Court (SC) justices—Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Mario V. Lopez and Maria Filomena D. Singh. Below are some of the highlights of our interview.
There are three things the SPJI aims to improve in our justice system—efficiency, innovation, and access. The goal of the High Court is for the delivery of justice to be timely and fair, transparent and accountable, equal and inclusive, and technology adaptive.
Justice Singh pointed out that while the basic role of the judiciary is to adjudicate cases, its reformist role is to take a proactive stance to bring about fair and swift justice. To introduce judicial reforms, it is crucial to be adaptive to new technologies, something the members of the Supreme Court—one of the country’s oldest institutions—have started to embrace during the pandemic.
Justice Singh said during the COVID-19 pandemic, they held more than 778,000 video conference hearings. Around 100,000 persons deprived of liberty were released, including some 1,200 children in conflict with the law.
She said accessibility of services will be improved as SC sets up information sites where the public could make online inquiries to obtain free legal aid. The use of social media platforms is also highly encouraged.
To modernize court processes, the court also plans to capitalize on artificial intelligence for legal research and other court operations. But Justice Hernando assures that there will be no layoffs and staff reduction. Instead, they will train and build on their staff’s capacities and broaden their knowledge.
The High Court seeks to provide a swifter delivery of justice, says Justice Lopez. To streamline the procedural process, the court implements a continuous trial system so that cases are resolved in the soonest possible time. Service of summons and service of subpoenas are now done electronically. Regional Trial Courts now implement a 90-day rule to uphold expeditious trial while the Court of Appeals is given up to a year to resolve a case. “The marching orders of the Supreme Court thru the Chief Justice is, we will abide by the two-year period with which to dispose a case,” he said.
To address concerns on the high costs of litigation, the SC has requested the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to create a standard so the public will know how much they need to pay.
The SC has also put in place rules when it comes to judiciary-initiated naturalization of stateless persons; the use of gender-free and -fair language; and the observance of Pride Week to underline the Court’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Enhancing legal education through Bar Reforms is another goal of the SPJI. Thus, the implementation of a revised law curriculum, wherein subjects have been trimmed down and a wider choice of electives is made available for law students.
Pen and paper bar exams are now a thing of the past, says Justice Hernando. Licensure bar examination are now done online and there will be multi-site bar examination sites all over the country, to make it more accessible and less costly for examinees. Checking will be done faster as these will be done digitally as well. In the 2023 bar exams to be held in September, the results will be released by November or December, shortly followed by the oath-taking of successful examinees.
Meanwhile, to ensure the safety and security of justices, judges and court personnel, a Judiciary Marshals Office has been created. Aside from performing its role as the security force of the judiciary, the Office will also be given the task to investigate and assess threats, have the capability for forensic analysis, and enforce writs and processes.
Putting a premium on mental health, court officers and employees are entitled to an annual examination, health insurance coverage, and provision of professional mental health counseling and assistance on a 24/7 basis.
To uphold ethical responsibility, the Court launched the Ethics Caravan for the Proposed Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability for future lawyers. As for the issue of “hoodlums in robes” or those who violate the code of conduct the judiciary, Justice Lazaro-Javier said they are willing to use an iron-fist approach to clean their ranks.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, in his speech during the launch emphasized that through the SPJI, the Supreme Court will be removing the “shroud that has enveloped its officials and systems in a haze of misperceptions and incomprehension, and present in clear and indelible terms what we envision, what we have planned, and what we target to accomplish for our citizenry, and the methodologies we will adopt to achieve our objectives.” He also assured that the 15 Supreme Court Justices are all equally invested in the SPJI, guaranteeing the SPJI’s continuity. “Even after I leave in 2026, even when only the four youngest members of the Court remain until 2036, the SPJI will remain relevant,” he said.
Click on this link to watch the full interview.
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