154 new Sharia bar passers oathtaking set

The Supreme Court announced Friday that 154 out of 628 examinees, or 24.48 percent, successfully passed the 2025 Sharia Special Bar Examinations.

The new Sharia Counselors at Law will take their oath on 6 August 2025, at the Manila Hotel in a historic ceremony using a newly approved oath specifically crafted for Islamic legal practitioners.

To recall, the results were revealed by Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho Jr., chairman of this year’s Sharia Bar examinations, during a formal announcement at the Supreme Court session hall.

The 2025 examinations marked several firsts in the administration of Sharia law testing in the Philippines. For the first time, the exams were held simultaneously across four regional testing centers nationwide — the University of the Philippines-Diliman, Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, and Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.

The Supreme Court implemented significant reforms to make the examinations more accessible, including financial assistance of up to P80,000 for qualified applicants from the Middle East and reduced fees of P2,000 for indigent examinees.

Additionally, candidates could choose to answer questions in either English or Arabic, with specialized translation software employed to ensure accurate evaluation of Arabic responses.

Emphasizing the Court’s commitment to an inclusive legal system, Kho stated that “the Sharia Bar represents our dedication to ensuring our justice system respects and accommodates the diverse legal traditions of Filipino Muslims.”

The successful examinees must complete clearance procedures from 28 to 30 July before participating in the August oath-taking ceremony.

This year’s administration builds on previous reforms under the Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (2022-2027), which aims to modernize legal education and enhance access to Sharia law practice.

The 2024 examinations saw a 21.45 percent passing rate with 183 successful examinees out of 853 test-takers.

The full list of successful examinees is available through the Supreme Court’s official website and Public Information Office. Court officials encouraged the new Sharia lawyers to uphold the highest standards of their profession while serving their communities.