The governments of the Philippines and Australia vowed to have a strong judicial partnership by forging another memorandum of understanding on Judicial Cooperation.

The judicial cooperation will be between the Supreme Court of the Philippines (SCP) and the Federal Court of Australia (FCA).

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo and Chief Justice Debra Sue Mortimer signed the MoU on behalf of the SCP and FCA, respectively, during a hybrid signing ceremony at the Session Hall of the Supreme Court of the Philippines last Wednesday, 15 May.

Both the SCP and the FCA under the MoU, shall undertake programs for judicial cooperation to develop “a firm foundation for on-going and future relations” and to promote a “deeper understanding of each other’s legal and judicial cultures, common international legal standards, regional development and relevant emerging issues.”

The MoU also aims to enhance the SCP's capacity to implement its judicial reform program in accordance with its Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI).

They agree that their areas of cooperation shall be identified and developed principally in accordance with the SPJI and the SCP’s strategic plan for 2028 onwards.

To manage and implement the MoU, the Chief Justices of the FCA and SCP endeavor to meet annually and acknowledge that the implementation of projects and activities may involve a combination of Australian and Philippine expertise, noting the coordination and cooperation arrangements of the SCP with other justice sector agencies, the central socio-economic planning agency, and other relevant agencies and organizations in the Philippines as required or warranted.