The Supreme Court will begin transitioning to a fully digital filing system starting 1 July 2025, as it rolls out the initial phase of mandatory e-filing for select cases through the Philippine Judiciary Platform (PJP).

In a press conference on Thursday, SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Sue Mae Ting said the Court en banc approved the guidelines on 20 May 2025, ahead of full implementation by 1 October.

Between 1 July and 30 September, lawyers will be required to file specific initiatory pleadings and motions both digitally — via the eCourt PH app on the PJP — and through traditional methods such as personal submission, registered mail, or courier.

The mandatory e-filing covers petitions for review, certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, contempt, prerogative writs, and quo warranto actions, among others. Lawyers must register and verify their credentials on the PJP before they can use the platform.

“This will be a game-changer,” Ting said, highlighting the system’s ability to deliver notices instantly. “Lawyers and parties will no longer need to wait days for notices to arrive.”

Subsequent filings related to cases initiated on or after 1 July will also be subject to digital filing requirements. However, non-lawyers — including court personnel and law student practitioners — must continue using traditional filing methods.

Ting also assured the public that cybersecurity measures are in place to protect sensitive data. Currently, only parties and lawyers may access uploaded case documents, though the SC is considering future public access to decisions of public interest.

While the eCourt PH system is currently limited to Supreme Court cases, plans are underway to extend it to the Court of Appeals and lower courts.