Some 500 judges participated in the 6th National Family Courts Summit organized by the Supreme Court (SC) to enhance the handling of family-related cases and promote the use of technology in the judiciary.

The summit, conducted through the SC Committee on Family Courts and Juvenile Concerns and its Technical Working Group, together with the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), was held on 29–30 September 2025 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City.

With the theme “Bridging Justice: Enhancing Access and Efficiency in Family Courts Through Technology and Legal Innovation,” the two-day event gathered judges from statutory and designated Family Courts, as well as single- and multiple-sala courts handling family cases.

The summit was led by Committee Co-Chairpersons Associate Justices Amy C. Lazaro-Javier and Jhosep Y. Lopez and held in partnership with Australian Aid and the Fostering Advancement of Inclusive and Rights-based Justice (FAIR Justice) program. It aimed to update judges on recent laws, rules, and jurisprudence; share best practices; and promote digital tools to improve court processes.

In his keynote address, Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen delivered a lecture titled “Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027 in Relation to Strategic Technological Directions for Family Courts.” He underscored the Judiciary’s commitment to using technology, upgrading court personnel’s skills, and strengthening institutions to ensure the swift and fair delivery of justice.

Leonen said that for family courts, this means protecting the rights and welfare of children and families. He urged judges to revisit traditional views on marriage, which directly affect children.

“But to truly uphold and protect, my challenge is for all of us to revisit and reassess, always, our judicial premises, so that our laws can reflect the true present realities. Our constant effort should not be merely to follow worn-out doctrines and perspectives, but to actually do justice to all forms of the family,” he said.

The Acting Chief Justice stressed that families cannot be confined to a single, dominant model.

“A family is more than formal marriages. There are healthy, intimate relationships that extend beyond what our dominant doctrines currently envision. There are other ethical and just ways to organize intimate relationships that do not conform to a dominant religious or post-colonial perspective of marriage or family,” he added.

Leonen warned that prevailing views of marriage as the “ideal” endpoint of relationships often affect children, noting that “those born outside marital unions bear the consequences of their parents’ inability to regulate their intimate affairs.”

He emphasized that law and adjudication shape how society defines what is normal, saying courts, through proper procedures and sound decisions, can either preserve unjust systems or promote fairness. He urged family courts to use this responsibility to uphold what is truly just.

Building on these reflections, Leonen pointed to reforms under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027 (SPJI), aimed at reorganizing the court system to help family court judges work more efficiently and focus on adjudication.

Among these are the development of a Benchbook for Family Courts, the issuance of victim-sensitive guidelines to prevent trauma and ensure early access to social services, the new Rule on Family Mediation, the rollout of eCourtPH, the drafting of an AI Governance Framework, and the creation of the Office of the Regional Court Manager.