The Supreme Court (SC) will intensify its drive for transparency and accountability within the country’s judicial system, Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh said as she cited key disciplinary actions in 2024.

Justice Singh delivered the keynote address at the 10th founding anniversary of the Justice Reform Initiative (JRI).

She outlined the judiciary’s approach under its Integrity Initiative, a component of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI).

According to Singh, a total of 42 judges from First- and Second-Level Courts, 166 lawyers, and 109 court officials and personnel were administratively sanctioned in 2024.

She said these actions are intended to address misconduct and reinforce institutional processes. Singh also noted the relationship between judicial integrity and national economic conditions, saying before business leaders and civil advocates, “The rule of law and economic development are two very distinct but intertwined concepts. Indeed, the law is a means to stimulate growth, create jobs and opportunities, and fight poverty.”

Reforms under the SPJI include efforts to make disciplinary procedures more efficient and accessible. The Judicial Integrity Board has been reorganized into the Judicial Integrity Office to streamline administrative case handling, and complaints against court personnel may now be filed through email with the Judiciary Public Assistance Section (JPAS).

Singh also announced the SC’s approval of two new ethics codes: the Code of Judicial Conduct and Accountability and the Code of Conduct and Accountability for Court Officials and Personnel. Both will be launched nationwide in January 2026 with a mass oath-taking ceremony led by SC justices and streamed online.

These codes complement the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, adopted in 2023 to govern the conduct of lawyers.

Singh encouraged continued collaboration between the SC and the JRI, saying integrity requires participation from various sectors.