Improving the Philippines' justice system with the SPJI 2022-2027

The Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) 2022-2027 is the Supreme Court's roadmap to address institutional challenges, such as backlog of court cases, delays, slow administrative systems, and limited resources. Approved on June 28, 2022, the SPJI is the result of the combined efforts of all 15 Supreme Court Justices and former members of the Court. Its objective is to deliver justice that is timely and fair, transparent and accountable, equal and inclusive, and technologically adaptive.Based on these guiding principles, the Court aims to achieve three major outcomes through digital transformation: efficiency, innovation, and access. EFFICIENCYDecentralized operations Currently, administrative processes for the trial courts are centralized in the Office of the Court Administrator. To address bottlenecks and delays, the Supreme Court has established the Office of the Regional Court Manager (ORCM), a decentralized system to improve administrative and support services delivery to all trial courts. The ORCM aims to relieve judges of administrative tasks, allowing them to focus on resolving cases. Regional consultations were held in April - May 2024 for the ORCM's pilot implementation in June in the 1st Judicial Region (San Fernando, La Union); 3rd Judicial Region (Angeles City, Pampanga); 7th Judicial Region (Lapu-Lapu, Cebu); 8th Judicial Region (Ormoc, Leyte); 10th Judicial Region (Butuan City); and 11th Judicial Region (Davao City). Ethical responsibility The Supreme Court launched an initiative to promote ethical responsibility within the legal profession. On April 11, 2023, the Court introduced the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) after consultations with stakeholders nationwide. The CPRA sets out ethical standards for lawyers, addressing social media use, and lawyer-client relationship, among others. The CPRA's successful implementation has led the Court to begin revising the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel.Mental wellnessIn addition to offering unified and enhanced healthcare, the Supreme Court has taken a significant step in addressing mental health concerns by launching a Mental Health Unit with a Mental Health Hotline in December 2022, to be strengthened further by establishing mental health units in different regions and court levels. Safety of judges The Supreme Court has begun operationalizing the Office of the Judiciary Marshals in accordance with Republic Act No. 11691. Recruitment for the Chief Marshal and Deputy Marshals is underway, and the Implementing Rules and Regulations for R.A. 11691 is awaiting approval. A Judicial Marshal Academy will also be established for the judiciary marshals' recruitment, training, and development.Judicial education and Bar reformThe Supreme Court, through the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA), aims to improve judicial education through skills training and a personalized training system based on each participant's learning level. The Court plans to introduce degree and certificate programs to judges, court attorneys, and personnel, improving service quality, complemented by improvements in legal education through Bar reforms, with the first digital and regionalized Bar Exam held in November 2021, serving as the format for succeeding exams.INNOVATIONArtificial intelligenceThe Supreme Court continuously seeks innovative, responsive solutions to modernize work operations, exploring artificial intelligence (AI) for legal research and court operations. An AI prototype has been developed for legal research, with a user experience similar to ChatGPT's. An AI Voice-to-Text transcription system with a 90% accuracy rate has also been deployed in 20 select pilot courts to assist in recording court proceedings. PJ365The Court uses various digital applications to enhance its processes, focusing on making them accessible and convenient for its stakeholders. It has implemented PJ365, the Judiciary's modern workplace platform with applications like Outlook for email, Teams for collaboration and videoconferencing, OneDrive for cloud storage, and Microsoft Office for productivity. PJ365 components are also utilized for the Court's core cybersecurity and information protection. Online payments and researchThe Judiciary e-Payment Solution (JePS) was launched in 2021, allowing online assessment and payment of legal fees. The Court also offers the electronic version of the Philippine Reports through the Supreme Court e-Library, facilitating legal research and the PhilJA Learning Management System, an online learning platform providing judges, judicial aspirants, and court personnel with course materials for their professional development, which includes the Digitized Benchbook for Philippine Trial Courts providing judges legal references in a searchable, downloadable, and user-friendly format.Digitized applicationsIn 2023, the Court launched Barista, the online platform for registering and applying for the Bar Exams. Soon, it will also enable monitoring of Bar membership status and compliance with the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirements. Registration and applications for judicial vacancies are now online through the Judicial and Bar Council's ORAS app beginning June 13, 2024.eCourt version 2.0The Court is developing the eCourt System Version 2.0 as the case management system for all court levels.It includes the eCourt Portal, eFiling and other external systems, fully digitalized case records, ePayment capabilities, automated case assignment, work-flow driven processing, automatic generation of outgoing documents, digital signing based on biometric features, intra-office and inter-office messaging, as well as information exchange with external institutions, among others. This will be pilot-tested in select courts in the 3rd quarter of 2024. The Human Resource Management System, an application to manage the Supreme Court's human resource functions and processes, will also be launched in June 2024. Revision of rulesThe Court also reviews rules on pleading, practice, and procedure to stay current with modern developments and technological advancements and make court processes more accessible, understandable, and transparent.Expedited processesIn 2022, the Supreme Court approved the Rules on Expedited Procedures in the First Level Courts to adjust and align the coverage of the 1991 Revised Rule on Summary Procedure and the 2016 Revised Rules on Small Claims Cases following Congress' expansion of the jurisdictional amount in first-level courts to Two Million Pesos for monetary claims in civil actions. For small claims cases, the Rules increased the threshold amount to One Million Pesos and permitted the service of notices by phone calls, SMS, and instant messaging software applications, and facilitated the conduct of videoconferencing hearings.The Supreme Court is currently amending the Rules on Civil Procedure and the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure, subject to regional consultations with relevant stakeholders in the second half of 2024.Support for refugeesIn 2022, the Supreme Court approved the Rule on Facilitated Naturalization of Refugees and Stateless Persons, making the Philippine Supreme Court the first judiciary in the world to take steps to simplify and reduce legal and procedural barriers in the naturalization process for refugees and stateless individuals. The Rule allows naturalization petitions to be published on the Supreme Court website, eliminating the requirement for costly newspaper publication. Anti-terrorismAfter the enactment of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, and the subsequent declaration of its constitutionality by the Supreme Court, except for a few provisions, the Court issued the Rules on the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and Related Laws in 2023. The Rules outline the procedure for seeking judicial relief when designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council and from corresponding freeze orders by the Anti-Money Laundering Council. They also cover detentions without judicial warrants of arrest, surveillance orders, and travel restrictions. The Rules aim to find a balance between the state's right to self-protection and the constitutional rights of those accused of terrorism.JSCCThe Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) comprised of the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, plays a crucial role in addressing cross-cutting issues affecting the justice system. With a coordinated approach to justice sector policymaking, planning, and operations and identifies priority challenges for collective action, it has established thirteen Justice Zones where local justice sector actors collaborate to identify common problems and generate solutions. The JSCC has also implemented collaborative information systems, such as the e-Warrant and e-Subpoena, and plans to revitalize and upgrade the National Justice Information System to improve information sharing within the justice sector. The JSCC hosted the very first National Decongestion Summit on December 6-7, 2023, aiming to find solutions to jail and prison overcrowding. ACCESSLegal aidTo improve legal aid initiatives and provide quick legal services to underprivileged and marginalized individuals, the Court has drafted the proposed Unified Legal Aid Service Rules (ULAS), which underwent regional consultations from April to May 2024. The proposed Rules will govern the mandatory provision of pro bono legal aid services by covered lawyers to qualified beneficiaries such as indigents, members of marginalized sectors for public interest cases, and non-governmental and non-profit organizations. REAL JusticeThe Enhanced Justice on Wheels program was initially created to improve physical access to the judicial system in rural communities by bringing to them mobile courtrooms. The program was transformed into the Remote Hearings and Equal Access to Law and Justice (Real Justice) program in response to technological advancements. It aims to provide remote areas with the necessary technology and support to conduct court hearings, allow remote participation, and modernize judicial processes. The program was first launched in Tawi-Tawi in February 2024, where Supreme Court Justices visited and installed a Starlink satellite to help ensure high-speed, low-latency internet for videoconferencing hearings in remote areas. Shari'ah JusticeTo strengthen the foundations of Shari'ah Justice, the Court is introducing reforms and initiatives to facilitate justice and the rule of law in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. It held the first National Shari'ah Summit in March 2023 for sharing of ideas and best practices, as well as addressing issues and challenges faced by the Shari'ah legal system. Draft revisions to the Shari'ah Rules of Court are currently under review. The Court has also enhanced the conduct of the Shari'ah Bar Exams, with the recent 2024 Shari'ah Bar Exams the first to be digitalized, regionalized, and chaired by an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Gender Fairness For genuine access to justice, court services must be inclusive and non-discriminatory. In 2022, the Court issued the Guidelines on the Use of Gender Fair Language in the Judiciary and Gender Fair Courtroom Etiquette. It conducted a study on legal feminism to examine how the Court interprets gender-responsive laws, its awareness of gender biases, inequalities, and discrimination, and its pronouncement of corrective statements to address these biases. The study involved analyzing 153 Supreme Court decisions from 2006 to 2022, focusing on gender fair language, marriage and family, LGBTQIA+ issues, rape, and violence against women and children. A manual and protocol for handling cases involving women in conflict with the law is currently being developed. Work is also underway to develop Multi-Sectoral Guidelines on Victim Sensitivity for the Criminal Justice System to ensure fair treatment of victims and the accused in criminal cases.The SPJI continues to evolve through consultations and engagement with stakeholders. As stressed by Chief Justice Gesmundo, the Court welcomes constructive feedback to ensure that the SPJI's programs remain viable, reasonable, and workable.