Guidelines on the Detail and Reassignment of Personnel of the Lower Courts

April 8, 1997

SUPREME COURT CIRCULAR NO. 018-97

 

In the interest of the public service, the following guidelines are hereby prescribed for the detail and/or reassignment of the personnel of the lower courts: SAcaDE

1. For purposes of this issuance, detail and reassignment shall refer to the following personnel actions:

A. Detail shall refer to any personnel movement:

(1) from a branch of one court within one administrative area to a branch of the same or another level of court within another administrative area but within the same judicial region;

(2) from a branch of one level of court in a judicial region to a branch of the same or another level of court in another judicial region; or

(3) from one level of court in a judicial region to the Office of the Court Administrator or vice-versa; and

B. Reassignment shall refer to any personnel movement:

(1) from a branch of one level of court to another branch of the same or another level of court within the same administrative area;

(2) from a branch of one level of court to the Office of the Clerk of Court within the same administrative area; or

(3) from one organizational unit to another in the Office of the Court Administrator.

2. In accordance with the provisions of Administrative Order No. 6, series of 1975, Executive Judges shall continue to have authority to reassign temporarily "the personnel of one branch (sala) to another branch (sala) or to the Office of the Clerk of Court, in case of vacancy in the position of Presiding Judge of a branch (sala), or when the interest of the service requires," within his administrative area subject to the requirement prescribed therein.

3. A detail or reassignment shall be allowed only for meritorious reasons or when the exigencies and the interest of the service require the same. No request for detail or reassignment for purely personal reasons shall be granted. ISAcHD

4. The detail or reassignment of court personnel shall be allowed only for a period of three (3) months, except for a reassignment due to a vacancy in the position of the Presiding Judge of a branch falling under paragraph (2) hereof which reassignment can continue until the said vacancy has been filled. Any request for the extension of the detail or reassignment for another period of three months may be granted but only for meritorious reasons. In addition, the request for the extension of the detail or reassignment should be sent or submitted at least fifteen (15) working days before the expiration of the original/previous detail or reassignment period.

5. A request for detail or reassignment shall include the specific reasons for the detail or reassignment sought. The request should also have the recommendation of (a) the Presiding Judge of the branch of the court where the employee seeks to be detailed or reassigned; and (b) the Presiding Judge of the branch of the court to which the employee requesting the detail or reassignment belongs.

Strict compliance with the guidelines prescribed by this issuance is hereby enjoined.

(SGD.) ALFREDO L. BENIPAYOCourt Administrator