Accessing justice is not merely a principle but “literally, a court that travels to a person who cannot travel to it,” Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said, as he added the justice system must reach even the country’s most isolated and marginalized communities.

Leonen stated as he accepted an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Saint Louis University, where he challenged future lawyers to use the law as a tool for justice, inclusion, and public service.

Addressing graduates, Leonen said the legal profession is responsible for ensuring that justice reaches even the country’s most isolated and marginalized communities.

Leonen said, “Access to justice is not a phrase you cite in a pleading. It is, quite literally, a court that travels to a person who cannot travel to it.”

Citing the experience of the municipality of Simunul in Tawi-Tawi to illustrate the point, where the judiciary has used digital technology to connect litigants with trial courts located across the sea.

He said that through satellite internet and remote court hearings, residents who previously could not afford to travel by boat are now able to participate in judicial proceedings without leaving their communities.

The initiative demonstrates how technology, when used responsibly, can remove barriers that have long prevented many Filipinos from obtaining justice.

Tool for judgment

However, Leonen said that technology should remain a tool rather than a substitute for human judgment.

Further, Leonen discussed the growing role of artificial intelligence, warning lawyers against unthinkingly relying on “machines,” saying AI may assist in legal work but cannot replace the human values necessary for deciding cases.

Leonen said that a machine can do law, but it cannot do justice, because justice is not a computation.

Future lawyers were urged to master emerging technologies while ensuring that every decision affecting people’s rights remains subject to accountable human judgment.

Beyond technology, Leonen called on graduates to develop a critical understanding of society and reject the notion that existing institutions should always be accepted without question.

He distinguished the “rule of law” from the “rule by law,” saying the legal system should always be guided by justice rather than by the interests of those who wield power.

The SAJ also pointed to the country’s ongoing literacy crisis, noting that millions of Filipinos remain unable to read and fully understand written material.

He said those privileged to receive an education have a responsibility to help expand opportunities for others.

Likewise, Leonen cautioned against choosing convenience over fairness by warning that justice is often denied when institutions prioritize efficiency at the expense of people, particularly the poor and marginalized.

Leonen, in quoting educator Paulo Freire’s concept of developing a “critical consciousness,” encouraged the graduates to become lawyers who question injustice, defend the vulnerable, and use the law to promote genuine social change.

The address ends with a reminder that freedom and justice ultimately depend on the people’s own actions.