Culture of excellence
By the time CJ Zalameda retires, it will be a different world, with technology evolving rapidly every day.
Chief Justice Rodil Zalameda assumed office on 6 November, inheriting a Judiciary undergoing substantial reform. His appointment matters beyond the legal profession because families, workers and businesses depend on the courts to resolve disputes fairly and within a reasonable time.
CJ Zalameda and his predecessor, CJ Alexander Gesmundo, are Ateneo Law graduates and members of the esteemed Fraternal Order of Utopia. Both come from a culture of excellence, with an imprimatur that judicial leadership and the effective administration of justice must translate into actual benefits that must be felt by ordinary Filipinos. Their shared experience on the Court provides a strong foundation for continuity, while still preserving independent judgment.
CJ Gesmundo served as chief justice for five years and seven months, beginning April 5, 2021. Zalameda, now 63, will serve until August 2, 2033, when he reaches 70. Their successive leadership would span approximately 12 years and four months, providing time for reforms to be implemented, evaluated and institutionalized.
Under CJ Gesmundo, the Court advanced its Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations, mandatory electronic filing in trial-court civil cases and electronic notarization. The Unified Legal Aid Service, or ULAS, requires covered lawyers to provide at least 60 hours of free legal aid every three years, subject to its rules. These collective initiatives connect modernization with access to justice.
CJ Zalameda brings his broad experience as a branch clerk of court, private practitioner, prosecutor and appellate justice. His proposed approach of establishing baselines, testing reforms and expanding those that demonstrate results could strengthen implementation. Reliable systems, trained personnel and assistance for court users with limited connectivity must accompany these new procedures.
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers another opportunity under the Court’s existing human-centered AI framework. In comparison, US courts are now exploring administrative applications, assisted transcription and translation that the Philippines can evaluate. Secure tools could organize records, flag overdue cases and explain procedures, freeing personnel for work requiring judgment. Accuracy, confidentiality and human oversight remain essential, with judges responsible for decisions affecting rights.
Continuity will also face substantial changes in the Supreme Court’s membership. CJ Zalameda’s elevation leaves one vacancy, while eight incumbent associate justices are scheduled to retire before August 2033. Reforms must therefore become shared institutional commitments that endure as new members join the Supreme Court.
By the time CJ Zalameda retires, it will be a different world, with technology evolving rapidly every day. We can hope that Filipinos will be able to file documents with fewer trips to court, obtain legal assistance more readily and spend less time waiting for cases to move.
This would give a “culture of excellence” a meaning every Filipino can appreciate: a worker who receives a timely ruling, a family that settles an estate without years of uncertainty, and a small business that can enforce its contracts. The coming years can bring justice closer to the people and give them stronger reasons to trust our courts. All hail the Chief — Chief Justice Zalameda!
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