The Supreme Court (SC) En Banc has approved the use of Filipino Sign Language (FSL) interpreting in the Judiciary, a landmark measure implementing Republic Act No. 11106, or the Filipino Sign Language Act.

The SC said the rules aim to ensure equal, relevant, and effective access to justice for d/Deaf Filipinos and facilitate their full participation in court proceedings.

The approved rules, dated 28 October 2025, will apply to all court proceedings involving d/Deaf Filipinos in the Judiciary, at any litigation stage, with the right to choose their preferred mode of communication.

The Rules define “deaf” (lowercase “d”) as Filipinos with hearing loss who may or may not use sign language or identify with the Deaf community. The court said “Deaf” (uppercase “D”) refers to those who use FSL and collectively identify as a community, emphasizing that all Filipino Deaf are deaf, but not all deaf Filipinos are Deaf.

Accredited FSL interpreters and Deaf Relay Interpreters (DRIs) must be appointed by courts. They will translate spoken language into FSL and vice versa, while DRIs relay communication between linguistically isolated deaf individuals and hearing non-signers. A linguistically isolated deaf person is one with little or no exposure to sign language, resulting in limited communication skills. A hearing non-signer is a person who can hear but does not know or use sign language.

The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) must provide all courts with an updated list of accredited interpreters every year. Courts must refer d/Deaf parties or witnesses—within three calendar days upon receipt of request or on their own initiative—to the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) for a Visual Communication Assessment for the Deaf (VCAD) if the Court finds that the Deaf individual is not proficient in FSL. The VCAD determines the d/Deaf person’s primary language and communication needs, and the report must be submitted to the court within 10 calendar days.

If the d/Deaf individual manifests proficiency in FSL, they must execute a waiver, and the court shall directly appoint an FSL interpreter from the list furnished by the OCA.

To ensure impartiality, the Rules prohibit courts from appointing interpreters who have conflicts of interest, such as relationship, financial, or professional ties to the d/Deaf party or witness. If a d/Deaf party declines the court-provided interpreter due to unavailability, conflict of interest, or other justifiable reasons, they may hire interpreters at their own expense—with the other party’s consent—provided the interpreter is accredited.

To ensure effective communication, the Rules prescribe courtroom guidelines on the physical position of the interpreter relative to the d/Deaf party or witness during hearings, their access to case records, and video recording of d/Deaf testimonies. Remote interpreting is allowed when no accredited on-site interpreter is available, when the proceeding is brief and does not involve testimony, or when the case involves sensitive matters that may pose safety risks to the interpreter.

The court must also meet technical standards for video and audio quality during proceedings. However, in-court interpreting remains mandatory for complex proceedings, cases involving d/Deaf children or multiple d/Deaf participants, when equipment is impaired by noise or poor lighting, or when videoconferencing is not feasible.

The Rules shall take effect on 15 December 2025, following publication in two newspapers of general circulation on 29 November 2025 and on the SC website.