Philippines, EU launch second phase of justice reform program

The Philippines and the European Union launched the second phase of a justice reform program that seeks to support the development of a more responsive and accountable justice service in the Philippines.

According to a statement, the EU invested P1 billion for the Justice Sector Reform Program: Governance in Justice II (GOJUST).

GOJUST will support the ongoing efforts of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC), composed of the Supreme Court, Department of Justice, and Department of the Interior and Local Government, in their effort to improve the country's justice service.

“The JSCC is both a venue and a mechanism for communication, principled cooperation and studied coordination without sacrificing institutional independence,” Justice Chief Alexander Gesmundo said in a statement.

“Through the JSCC, the coordinated approach to delivering justice is the chosen platform to achieve real-time satisfaction of justice needs,” he added.

GOJUST also seeks to reduce backlogs with the automation of courts and prosecution offices, support the coordination of justice sector agencies, and foster the use of research in the design and management of justice sector policies.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the partnership with the EU will deliver more “dividends” in improved justice, human rights, and the rule of law.

For his part, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said GOJUST will provide more opportunities to come up with reforms in the delivery of justice.

“GOJUST II presents us all a greater opportunity not only to come up with reforms and timely initiatives in the delivery of justice but also to expand the reach and fortify the foundations of what we have started to work on in the past four and a half years,” he said.

The second phase was launched on November 25 and will run from 2021 to 2025.

The first phase of GOJUST ran from 2016 to 2020. — DVM, GMA News