Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings
OCA Circular No. 130-2020 authorizes all single-sala courts in the Philippines to conduct videoconferencing hearings for both criminal and civil cases, regardless of their trial stage. This decision expands previous pilot tests, which had demonstrated a high success rate of 85% in videoconferencing hearings conducted from May to August 2020. Given the delays in court actions due to ongoing quarantine measures, the circular aims to facilitate judicial processes by allowing 882 additional courts to utilize videoconferencing. All courts are expected to adhere to existing guidelines while implementing this new directive.
Quick Answers
- What is Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings about?
- OCA Circular No. 130-2020 authorizes all single-sala courts in the Philippines to conduct videoconferencing hearings for both criminal and civil cases, regardless of their trial stage. This decision expands previous pilot tests, which had demonstrated a high success rate of 85% in videoconferencing hearings conducted from May to August 2020. Given the delays in court actions due to ongoing quarantine measures, the circular aims to facilitate judicial processes by allowing 882 additional courts to utilize videoconferencing. All courts are expected to adhere to existing guidelines while implementing this new directive.
- What type of law is OCA Circular No. 130-2020?
- Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings (OCA Circular No. 130-2020) is a Philippine Supreme Court Issuances enacted by the Congress of the Philippines.
- When was Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings enacted?
- Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings (OCA Circular No. 130-2020) was enacted on Aug 14, 2020.
- What is the citation for Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings?
- Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings, OCA Circular No. 130-2020, Aug 14, 2020 (Philippines)
Law Information
- Reference Number
- OCA Circular No. 130-2020
- Date Enacted
- Category
- Supreme Court Issuances
- Subcategory
- Office of the Court Administrator Circulars
- Jurisdiction
- Philippines
- Enacting Body
- Congress of the Philippines
Full Law Text
August 14, 2020
OCA CIRCULAR NO. 130-2020
| TO | : | All Concerned Judges of the First and Second Level Single-Sala Courts |
| RE | : | Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings |
In A.C. No. 37-2020, all courts in the National Capital Judicial Region and in the key cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao were authorized to pilot-test the videoconferencing hearings of urgent matters in cases involving persons deprived of liberty. In A.C. Nos. 39-2020 and 40-2020, the authority was expanded to cover "ALL matters pending before (them), in both criminal and civil cases, whether newly-filed or pending, regardless of the stage of trial." And, in OCA Circular Nos. 96-2020 and 100-2020, additional courts nationwide were authorized to pilot-test the conduct of videoconferencing hearings.
From 4 May 2020 to 7 August 2020, some 47,676 videoconferencing hearings have been conducted by the authorized courts, with a success rate of 85%.
Considering however that the entire country has been under different levels of quarantine for some five (5) months now, court action on pending cases before courts which have not been authorized to conduct videoconferencing hearings has been delayed. Hence, there is a need to authorize more courts to conduct videoconferencing hearings.
In OCA Circular No. 92-2020, all 1,025 single-sala courts have been provided with Philippine Judiciary 365 accounts which would enable them to conduct videoconferencing hearings. However, only 143 single-sala courts were authorized so far to conduct videoconferencing hearings.
In view of the foregoing, and with the approval of Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, all 882 single-sala courts which have not yet been authorized to conduct video conferencing hearings, but have been provided with Philippine Judiciary 365 accounts, are hereby now AUTHORIZED to pilot-test and conduct videoconferencing hearings on all matters pending before them, in both criminal and civil cases regardless of the stage of the trial in accordance with existing circulars and guidelines not inconsistent herewith.
For the guidance and compliance of all concerned.
(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZCourt Administrator
Cite This Law
Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings, OCA Circular No. 130-2020, Aug 14, 2020 (Philippines)
Authority of All Single-Sala Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing Hearings, OCA Circular No. 130-2020 (Phil. 2020)
Related Laws
- Authority of All Other First and Second Level Courts to Conduct Videoconferencing HearingsOCA Circular No. 161-2020 • Sep 24, 2020 • Supreme Court Issuances
- Conduct of Fully-Remote Videoconferencing HearingsOCA Circular No. 67-2021 • May 31, 2021 • Supreme Court Issuances
- Survey on the Conduct of Videoconferencing HearingsOCA Circular No. 143-2023-A • Mar 30, 2023 • Supreme Court Issuances
- Survey on the Conduct of Videoconferencing HearingsOCA Circular No. 143-2023 • Mar 29, 2023 • Supreme Court Issuances
- Conduct of Videoconferencing Hearings in Court, from Home or in Other Locations in Areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2OCA Circular No. 43-2022 • Mar 1, 2022 • Supreme Court Issuances
- Pilot Testing of Hearings through VideoconferencingOCA Circular No. 96-2020 • May 18, 2020 • Supreme Court Issuances
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