Continuing Judicial Education Program

October 11, 1988

SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 6-88

 

Pursuant to the Supreme Court's policy of improving the administration and delivery of justice and upgrading the performance of the trial courts, a continuing judicial education program is hereby established for all incumbent trial judges.

The program shall have two levels:

1) a judicial orientation program for newly appointed judges; and

2) a judicial career program for trial judges.

JUDICIAL ORIENTATION AND IMMERSION PROGRAM

A. Newly appointed trial judges shall undergo an orientation program. This includes municipal judges who are appointed to the regional trial courts. The orientation programs shall consist of the following: a familiarization course on all Supreme Court administrative circulars, judicial ethics, including court rules and decisions, relationship with the Bar, work aptitudes and work ethics, courtroom semantics, communication techniques, and decision writing. This course shall be undertaken in the Supreme Court under the supervision of the Office of the Court Administrator.

B. After completion of the familiarization program the newly appointed judge shall thereafter undergo an immersion program at his station. He shall immediately report to his station but shall not begin to hear cases until after a one-week immersion program is completed. The immersion program shall consist of the following activities.

(1) actual observation of court trials by sitting in with a senior judge in the conduct of judicial proceedings; cd

(2) observation of the activities in the Office of the Clerk of Court including meetings with the different court personnel, and a study of their functions and duties;

(3) inventory of all pending cases in the sala or branch to which he is assigned;

(4) a tour of the territory covered within the jurisdiction of his court;

(5) familiarization with the various local governments and other government agencies operating within the territory covered by his court.

This immersion program shall be under the supervision of the executive judge of the station and in case of a single sala station, under the supervision of the nearest executive judge to be assigned by the Office of the Court Administrator.

The Executive Judge shall submit to the Supreme Court a certificate of completion of the immersion program within ten (10) days from its completion. The new judge shall formally assume his judicial duties upon completion of the immersion course.

JUDICIAL CAREER ENRICHMENT AND JUDICIAL EXECUTIVE PROGRAMS

The judicial career enrichment and judicial executive programs shall be held once a year under a course of study which shall have the following substantial features:

(a) a review of recent Supreme Court decisions and legislation;

(b) monitoring and assessment of the performance of participating judges;

(c) judicial clinic to discuss court problems;

(d) dialogue with members of the Bar and government officials involved in the administration of justice; and

(e) other relevant aspects of judicial training as may be prescribed by the Chief Justice.

Judicial career enrichment and judicial executive courses shall be resident programs, unless otherwise indicated by the Chief Justice. Both resident and non-resident programs shall be undertaken in an environment insuring concentrated studies and productive involvement of all participants. cd

October 11, 1988.

(SGD.) MARCELO B. FERNAN Chief Justice