Reiteration of Circular No. 19-98 Dated 18 February 1998 (Expanded Authority of Pairing Courts)

January 20, 2020

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 06-2020

 

It has come to the attention of this Office that despite the issuance of Circular No. 19-98 dated 18 February 1998 (Expanded Authority of Pairing Courts), in relation to Circular No. 7 dated 3 June 1986, some trial court judges act ONLY on incidental or interlocutory matters, and those urgent matters requiring immediate action of the court. In this regard, the full text of Circular No. 19-98 is hereby REITERATED, as follows:

In the interest of efficient administration of justice, the authority of the pairing judge under Circular No. 7, dated September 23, 1974, (Pairing System for Multiple Sala Stations) to act on incidental or interlocutory matters and those urgent matters requiring immediate action on cases pertaining to the paired court shall henceforth be expanded to include all other matters. Thus, whenever a vacancy occurs by reason of resignation, dismissal, suspension, retirement, death, or prolonged absence of the presiding judge in a multi-sala station, the judge of the paired court shall take cognizance of all the cases thereat as acting judge therein until the appointment and assumption to duty of the regular judge or the designation of an acting presiding judge or the return of the regular incumbent judge, or until further orders from this Court.

For this purpose, the provisions of Circular No. 7, dated September 23, 1974, inconsistent with this Circular are hereby amended. (Emphasis underlined).

Relative thereto, the phrase [t]he judge of the paired court shall take cognizance of all the cases thereat as acting judge therein means that as pairing court, the judge shall not only act on the incidental or interlocutory matters and those urgent matters requiring immediate action on cases pertaining to the paired court, but also on all other matters that would require the action of the court.

Finally, all concerned are REMINDED that the Office of the Court Administrator shall no longer issue a memorandum designating the judge of the paired court as pairing judge therein.

Strict compliance is enjoined.

(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZCourt Administrator