Extensive Orientation Program on the New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary and the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel

July 26, 2005

SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 35-05

EXTENSIVE ORIENTATION PROGRAM ON THE NEW CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT FOR THE PHILIPPINE JUDICIARY AND THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR COURT PERSONNEL

WHEREAS, on 1 June 2004 the New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary and the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel took effect;

WHEREAS, these Codes must govern the conduct of judges and court personnel, respectively; aCTHEA

WHEREAS, it is thus necessary that an effective extensive orientation and immersion program on these Codes be pursued and carried out through seminars-workshops;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), the Program Management Office (PMO), and Office of Administrative Services (OAS) of the Supreme Court are hereby directed to work together, coordinate, and prepare a consolidated seminar-workshop program to ensure that in or before August 2006 all judges and court personnel have already attended a seminar-workshop on the New Code of Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary and the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel. To attain this objective

1. The PHILJA shall include orientation or immersion sessions on the Codes as a special component of its regular Regional Judicial Career Enhancement Program; and if this would prove to be less effective, it should conduct lectures on the Codes by province or group of provinces.

2. The OAS of the Supreme Court, in coordination with the PMO, should complete the orientation program on the Codes for the officials and personnel of the Supreme Court, the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), the OCA, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), and the PHILJA.

3. The Presiding Justices of the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, and the Court of Tax Appeals, through their respective Clerks of Court, shall coordinate with the PHILJA, OAS, and the PMO of the Supreme Court for the conduct of seminars-workshops on the Codes for their officials and personnel to be completed before 31 December 2005.

4. For the conduct of these seminars-workshops, the PHILJA, the PMO, and the OAS of the Supreme Court are enjoined to tap the expert lecturers on the Codes, such as Court of Appeals Justice Jose C. Sabio, retired Court of Appeals Justices Hector Hofile√±a and Hilarion Aquino, Deputy Court Administrator Jose P. Perez, and the pool of lecturers formed by the OAS headed by Atty. Ma. Carina C. Cunanan. AaIDHS

The funding for the seminars-workshops on the Codes shall be charged against the P25 million appropriation granted by the Court to the PHILJA if sponsored by the latter; the WB-JRSP loan and other grants received by the Court through the PMO for the purpose; or the respective regular appropriations for seminars and conferences of the Supreme Court and the lower courts, the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, and the Court of Tax Appeals.

For the effective implementation of this Administrative Circular, the abovementioned offices shall submit a schedule of seminars-workshops for the period from August to December 2005 and from January to July 2006.

This Administrative Circular shall take effect upon its issuance.

Issued this 26th day of July 2005.

 

(SGD.) HILARIO G. DAVIDE, JR.Chief Justice