CJ Gesmundo urges bar association to support Supreme Court's reforms

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo urged the Philippine Bar Association (PBA) to support and help spread awareness of the reforms undertaken by the Supreme Court (SC) under its Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI).

Speaking at the PBA’s 130th Foundation Day and Law Day Celebration at Makati City last September 9, Gesmundo said that the PBA's support was valuable, especially since its leaders had called on members “to embrace technology.”

“I know the focus now of the PBA is not just to remain resilient amidst emerging challenges, but to stay relevant, especially in the face of evolving technology... I am happy to see that we are one in this goal,” Gesmundo said.

“My hope is that the PBA helps lead the way as we advance these innovations across the entire judiciary. In particular, I hope the PBA can lend its resources, expertise, and networks to raise awareness about the reforms we are pursuing,” he added.

According to the SC, the SPJI was the institutional blueprint of the Court En Banc’s plans and programs for the delivery of responsive and real-time justice.

It was approved by the Court on June 28, 2022, under A.M. No 22-04-26-SC.

Gesmundo also said that he was looking forward to the PBA capitalizing on social media and other technological tools to help in the dissemination of the SPJI to its members and the public, especially after the recent relaunch of the PBA website.

“This will all be very helpful in informing not just our colleagues in this profession, but our people as well... I hope that the Court can also count on you to push for both the adoption of these reforms in the judiciary and the adaptation of your peers in the profession to innovations and technological advances,” he added.

Founded in 1891, the PBA is the country’s oldest voluntary national organization of lawyers.

PBA urged to invest in technological shift

Moreover, the Chief Justice called on the PBA to invest in the skills and resources needed to enable the technological shift that the Court envisions through its SPJI.

“The SPJI is a plan powered by an Innovation Agenda to review and assess the organizational structure and operations of the various offices of the Judiciary, and to develop and establish an information and communications technology infrastructure for the Philippine Judiciary,” he said.

At the height of the pandemic, Gesmundo also bared that the SC began allowing trial courts to conduct hearings via fully remote video conferencing through the promulgation of the Guidelines on the Conduct of Videoconferencing.

He added that the Court’s Committee on Virtual Hearings and Electronic Testimony is currently working on the rules that will allow the conduct of all court proceedings through videoconferencing even after the end of the pandemic.

“Together, we can usher in the new standard of justice in real-time — and in doing so, cultivate a wider, deeper, fuller adherence to the rule of law in our country,” said Gesmundo. — DVM, GMA News