Marquez vows to ease court congestion, speed up justice

Supreme Court Associate Justice Midas Marquez has vowed to eliminate overburdened courts by 2032 if appointed as the next chief justice, citing stronger case monitoring, digitalization and judicial reforms as key measures to address delays and congestion.

During his public interview as a candidate for chief justice, Marquez identified docket congestion, delays in resolving cases and the perception of corruption as three perennial problems confronting the judiciary.

“My plan is to strive to ensure that by 2032 there will be no overburdened courts anymore,” Marquez said.

He said the Supreme Court should regularly monitor the caseloads of courts nationwide to identify those needing additional judges, improved internet connectivity or more branches.

Marquez cited the example of a court whose caseload had increased from 400 to 1,500 cases, saying regular monitoring would allow the judiciary to intervene before the backlog becomes unmanageable.

Possible interventions include deploying judges-at-large to assist courts with excessive workloads, providing internet connectivity to underserved areas and asking Congress to authorize additional courts in heavily burdened jurisdictions.

He also emphasized the need to continue digitalizing court operations to improve case management and expedite the resolution of cases, particularly in areas outside Metro Manila where internet connectivity remains a challenge.

On public confidence in the judiciary, Marquez gave the institution a rating of eight out of 10, saying the Supreme Court had continued to fulfill its constitutional mandate despite fluctuations in public perception of the three branches of government.

He noted that the executive, legislative and judicial branches are often assessed in relation to one another, with public trust in one branch potentially rising as confidence in another declines.

Marquez said all three branches should strive to earn the highest possible level of public trust.

During the interview, Sen. Francis Pangilinan asked how the judiciary could address public frustration over corruption cases that take years to resolve. He cited the fertilizer fund scandal, which resulted in convictions in 2025, 21 years after the alleged offense in 2004.

Pangilinan also raised public perceptions that powerful or wealthy individuals escape accountability while poorer Filipinos face harsher consequences.

In response, Marquez said the judiciary could use its electronic court management system to track cases from trial courts to the Supreme Court and determine the causes of delays.

He said the system could help court officials establish whether a case had stalled because of delays by the prosecution, the defense or the court itself.

Marquez also proposed reviewing the implementation of continuous trial rules for criminal cases to ensure hearings proceed according to a fixed schedule.

Under the approach he described, judges would determine at the outset how many hearings each side would need to present its witnesses and evidence, then schedule the proceedings accordingly.

He added that the judiciary should ensure court decisions are released and uploaded to the Supreme Court website promptly to make them readily accessible to the public.