SC cancels oral arguments on psychological incapacity as ground for marriage annulment

The Supreme Court (SC) will no longer hold oral arguments on the case regarding psychological incapacity as a ground for the annulment of marriage due to its "sensitive" nature.

The SC Public Information Office (PIO) announced Tuesday that the justices decided to deliberate on the case raising a question on Article 36 of the Family Code "through additional memoranda to be submitted by the parties and the amici curiae."

Amici curiae, Latin for "friends of the court," are non-parties to a case who are called upon by the tribunal for their expertise on the subject involved.

The Court canceled the oral arguments scheduled for Tuesday "in view of the sensitive personal information that may be publicly exposed" during the proceeding, whose audio is broadcast live on the SC PIO's YouTube page.

The SC PIO has not disclosed the details of the case.

Article 36 of the Family Code states that a marriage shall be void if any party "was psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital obligations of marriage" at the time of marriage, "even if such incapacity becomes manifest only after its solemnization."

Marriages that are contracted by persons below 18 years old; solemnized by any person not legally authorized to perform marriages; without license; and cases of mistaken identity, among others, are also void under the Family Code.

The SC is also handling a case involving the inheritance rights of children born out of wedlock and recently dismissed a petition seeking the legalization of same-sex marriages in the Philippines. —KG, GMA News