SC summit drills 500 judges on handling family cases
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Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen (7th from left, center row) leads the 6th National Family Courts Summit held on September 29 to 30, 2025, at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City. With him are: (from left) Supreme Court Associate Justices Rodil V. Zalameda, Ramon Paul L. Hernando, and Amy C. Lazaro-Javier; Singapore Family Justice Courts District Judge and Assistant Registrar Carol Liew; Australia Federal Circuit and Family Court Justice Alister McNab; Australia Ambassador H.E. Marc Innes-Brown; Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex T. Gatchalian; SC Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting; Singapore Family Justice Courts Registrar Kenneth Yap; SC Associate Justices Samuel H. Gaerlan, Jhosep Y. Lopez, Jose Midas P. Marquez, and Antonio T. Kho, Jr; and retired Chief Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro.
Photo courtesy of the SC Communications Office
Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen gives a keynote address and lecture on the technological direction of Philippine family courts at the 6th National Family Courts Summit on September 29, 2025, at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City.
Photo courtesy of the Supreme Court Communications Office
About 500 judges participated in the 6th National Family Courts Summit organized by the Supreme Court (SC) to enhance the handling of family cases.
The summit was organized through the SC Committee on Family Courts and Juvenile Concerns and its Technical Working Group, in coordination with the Philippine Judicial Academy.
With the theme “Bridging Justice: Enhancing Access and Efficiency in Family Courts Through Technology and Legal Innovation,” the event gathered judges from statutory and designated Family Courts, as well as single- and multiple-sala courts handling family cases.
Led by Committee Co-Chairpersons Associate Justices Amy C. Lazaro-Javier and Jhosep Y. Lopez, the two-day summit aimed to update judges on recent laws, rules, and jurisprudence; share best practices; and promote digital tools to improve court processes.
The summit was conducted in partnership with Australian Aid and the Fostering Advancement of Inclusive and Rights-based Justice program.
In his keynote address titled “Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027 in Relation to Strategic Technological Directions for Family Courts,” Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen emphasized the Judiciary’s commitment to technology, capacity-building, and institutional strengthening to ensure swift and fair 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 of marriage, which often affect children.
