The gains achieved over the past year under the Supreme Court’s (SC) five-year Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI 2022–2027) will be assessed during a meeting with various stakeholders and development partners starting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 22 October, at The Manila Hotel.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said the event will also review the implementation of the SPJI over the past two years since the program’s launch on 14 October 2022.
Gesmundo is expected to disclose the SPJI programs for the next two years in his keynote address, while Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen will deliver the welcome address.
The SPJI was launched to address institutional challenges using four guiding principles: the judiciary’s delivery of justice must be timely and fair, transparent and accountable, equal and inclusive, and technology adaptive.
The high court said the SPJI targets three major outcomes—efficiency, innovation, and access—noting that the initiative represents the collective efforts of all 15 SC justices, who have equally invested in and guaranteed the program’s continuity.
During the first year of SPJI implementation, SC justices traveled across the country to gather feedback from judges, court personnel, lawyers, and local government officials.
The Court’s innovations have also been showcased in various international conferences, including presentations on Gender Equality and Inclusivity to over 1,100 women judges in Morocco, and sessions in Australia, the United Nations Environmental Program, the World Law Congress, the Open Government Summit in Estonia, Bangkok, and the Judicial Integrity Network ASEAN Judges Conference.
The SC also presented its two-year gains (2022–2023 and 2023–2024) to stakeholders during a forum held at The Manila Hotel.
According to the program, this year’s discussions will highlight the Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act, Mental Health in the Judiciary, High-Performance Courts, the Office of the Judiciary Marshals, modernization of the Office of the Court Administrator and the Office of the Regional Court Manager, eCourt PH, Filipino Sign Language interpreting in the judiciary, the Supreme Court Podcast, Unified Legal Aid Service, Judicial Integrity Office, Gender Responsiveness, Family Courts and Juvenile Concerns, Halls of Justice, and the Justice Sector Coordinating Council.
Key accomplishments during the SPJI’s first two years include:
– Adoption of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA), serving as the “bible” for lawyers and the “compass” guiding them toward moral and just conduct.
– Stakeholder consultations on revising the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel.
– Approval of the Rules on Expedited Procedures in first-level courts, increasing the small claims threshold to ₱1 million and allowing service of notices via phone, SMS, and messaging apps.
– Enhanced use of videoconferencing in trials.
– Consultations on amendments to the Rules on Civil and Criminal Procedure to expedite case resolution.
– Decentralization of the Office of the Court Administrator through the creation of Regional Court Managers to reduce judges’ administrative workload.
– Approval of simplified naturalization procedures for refugees and stateless persons, including electronic publication of petitions.
– Adoption of the Rules on the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020 and Related Laws.
– Implementation of electronic filing guidelines to transition to digital submissions.
– Finalization of the Unified Legal Aid Service (ULAS) rules to improve access to justice for the marginalized and underprivileged.