Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin has unveiled his four-point agenda for the judiciary, which include the updating of the Rules of Court, purging the bench of misfits and scalawags and the adoption of legal clinics to enhance access to justice.
During a testimonial dinner tendered by the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas early this week, Bersamin said that he would like “to update our procedural rules to make them embody and be attuned to the technological developments.”
Aside from adjudication, Bersamin said updating the rules “is a very basic, if not the other important function of the Court under the Constitution.”
Bersamin said that he will make the judicial system responsive to the public need for quick dispensation of justice.
He admitted that the Rules of Court still contains provisions that institutionalize delay.
Bersamin also vowed to cleanse the judicial ranks and “institutionalize changes that are designed to expedite the administration of justice.”
“I will purge the Judiciary of misfits and scalawags and enforce the rules of discipline,” he said.
The chief justice made the commitment after noting that in the provinces, there is a very strong perception that justice is only for the strong, the influential and the wealthy.
“Those judges and employees in the provinces who have contributed to this wrong perception about the Judiciary will have to go,” Bersamin warned.
He issued a marching order to Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez, who was also present during the dinner, “to start with my home province of Abra.”
“That is a marching order… no matter if they are my relatives or not. I am sure that you know what I mean,” Bersamin said.
Bersamin also said he will initiate reforms in the Bar exams, even as he urged the law deans to study the “Pass/Fail” approach, which is being practiced in the United States instead of grading the exams and having topnotchers.
The top magistrate also vowed “to enhance participation of law students in extending legal aid to the poor and the underprivileged.”
He said that the country’s law schools could improve legal education by probably adopting in a modified manner the best practices abroad.
Bersamin added that while that there are existing legal aid program by the law schools, this will be “about legal clinics as a method of education and, at the same time, extending legal aid to the poor and underprivileged.”
Bersamin said that he would like to “adopt the best practices abroad on the legal clinic to improve the quality of legal education and ensure access to justice.” He said that it “was probably high time for all the deans in the Philippines to sit down and discuss this approach” and encouraged UST to lead the way.
Calling himself a “Thomasian by blood,” having taught at the UST from 2001-2006, he appealed to UST to support him on his visions.
“Because I mean to start this very soon and very quickly. Join me in this effort because it is worthwhile,” he said.
The testimonial dinner was attended by the Dominican priests, Supreme Court officials, justices, judges, law school deans, and UST law faculty members.