Judicial Dispute Resolution Proceedings to be Conducted through Videoconferencing Hearings

August 10, 2020

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 127-2020

 

Acting on the request of the Executive Committee of the Philippine Mediation Center Office, Philippine Judicial Academy, for "the issuance of the appropriate directive for the guidance of the bench and the bar," 1 on the conduct of Judicial Dispute Resolution (JDR) proceedings through videoconferencing hearings, the Office of the Court Administrator hereby invites the attention of all concerned to Paragraph 17, Administrative Circular No. 39-2020, dated 14 May 2020, which provides:

17. ALL courts initially authorized to hear through videoconferencing only urgent matters in criminal cases involving Persons Deprived of Liberty are now herein authorized to hear through videoconferencing ALL matters pending before them, in both criminal and civil cases, whether newly-filed or pending, and regardless of the stage of trial. The videoconferencing hearings in both criminal and civil cases shall be upon joint motion of the parties, or upon orders of the court, which shall schedule the said videoconferencing hearings.

Similarly, Paragraph 6, Administrative Circular No. 40-2020, dated 15 May 2020, provides:

6. x x x

The hearings, either in-court or through videoconferencing, of all the matters pending before them, in both criminal and civil cases, whether newly-filed or pending, and regardless of the stage of the trial, are now herein authorized.

xxx xxx xxx

Considering that JDR forms part of judicial proceedings, 2 the same may be conducted via videoconferencing hearings, as authorized by the Court, provided the confidentiality of the proceedings is ensured.

For the information and guidance of all concerned.

(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZCourt Administrator

 

Footnotes

1.Letter dated 23 June 2020.

2.2018 Revised Guidelines on Court-Annexed Mediation (CAM) and Judicial Dispute Resolution (JDR), A.M. No. 01-10-5-SC-PHILJA, 25 September 2018.