The Office of the 2024 Sharia’ah Bar chairperson issued Bar Bulletin No. 3 rescheduling the bar examinations from 25 to 28 February to 28 April Sunday and 2 May Thursday.

Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, chairperson, 2024 Shari’ah Bar Examinations, said in the Bar bulletin that the resetting was in anticipation of the holy month of Ramadhan and to allow the prospective examinees additional time to review and prepare the application requirements outlined in the Bar Bulletin, the 2024 Shari’ah Bar

The application form for the 2024 SBE shall be accomplished only through the Bar Applicant Registration Information System and Tech Assistance, the online application platform of the Supreme Court, also used in the Philippine Bar Examinations.

Also, once the application period commences, applicants may access BARISTA, all applicants must submit within the prescribed period the supporting documentary requirements enumerated.

For ease of reference, the full site address of BARISTA is https://barista.judiciary.gov.ph/1.

The Online Application Form shall be filed within the period starting 29 January to 18 March 2024.

The hard copies of the Application Form, supporting documentary requirements listed in Annex A, and the additional documentary requirements for applicants who demonstrate meritorious reasons warranting leniency in the payment of the increased bar fees, as provided below, must be submitted through private courier services (e.g., LBC, Ninja Van, etc.) to the Office of the Bar Confidant not later than 10 May 2024.

The examinees were advised that failure to submit the required documents within the prescribed period will result in the disqualification of the applicant from the 2024 SBE.

The 2024 Shari’ah Bar application fee is P12,800, the application fee was adjusted to partially cover the increased costs of software licensing, venue rentals for local testing centers, and security and safety measures, among others, due to inflation.

The rest of the expenses will be shouldered by the Supreme Court.

Each applicant shall pay the amount individually and exclusively through the online payment facilities made available in BARISTA.

Further, pursuant to Bar Matter No. 4440 (In Re: 18th Shari’ah Bar Examinations), the Court resolved to: (1) retain the previous Shari’ah Bar 5 Application Fee of P2,000 for indigent applicants, whose net income does not exceed P24,000 a month; and allow an installment scheme in four equal payments of P3,200 for non-indigent applicants who demonstrate other meritorious reasons warranting leniency in the payment of the increased bar fees.

Under the installment scheme, the first payment of P3,200 must be made upon application.