Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection
On March 20, 2020, the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued Administrative Circular No. 32-2020 in response to the rising COVID-19 infections and the nationwide state of calamity. Effective March 23, 2020, all courts will be physically closed, and court users can only contact courts through designated hotlines, email addresses, or social media for urgent matters. Judges and justices are instructed to remain at home and only report to court if an urgent issue arises, while essential personnel may still report as needed. The directive emphasizes compliance and informs law enforcement to facilitate the movement of judicial personnel during this period.
Quick Answers
- What is Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection about?
- On March 20, 2020, the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued Administrative Circular No. 32-2020 in response to the rising COVID-19 infections and the nationwide state of calamity. Effective March 23, 2020, all courts will be physically closed, and court users can only contact courts through designated hotlines, email addresses, or social media for urgent matters. Judges and justices are instructed to remain at home and only report to court if an urgent issue arises, while essential personnel may still report as needed. The directive emphasizes compliance and informs law enforcement to facilitate the movement of judicial personnel during this period.
- What type of law is Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 32-2020?
- Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection (Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 32-2020) is a Philippine Supreme Court Issuances enacted by the Congress of the Philippines.
- When was Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection enacted?
- Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection (Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 32-2020) was enacted on Mar 20, 2020.
- What is the citation for Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection?
- Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection, Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 32-2020, Mar 20, 2020 (Philippines)
Law Information
- Reference Number
- Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 32-2020
- Date Enacted
- Category
- Supreme Court Issuances
- Subcategory
- Administrative Circulars
- Jurisdiction
- Philippines
- Enacting Body
- Congress of the Philippines
Full Law Text
March 20, 2020
SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 32-2020
| TO | : | All Litigants, Justices, Judges and Personnel of the Judiciary, and Members of the Bar |
| RE | : | Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection |
Due to the unabated rise of COVID-19 infection, and with the entire country now under a state of calamity, with many cities either on "Extreme Enhanced Community Quarantine" or "Lockdown," and to further limit the movement and travel of justices, judges and their skeleton-staff, in line with the appeal of the Government for the general public to stay home to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, ALL COURTS NATIONWIDE, from the Supreme Court down to the first level courts, SHALL BE PHYSICALLY CLOSED to all court users and may be reached only through their respective HOTLINES, and email addresses and Facebook accounts, if available, EFFECTIVE 23 March 2020, Monday.
The litigants, lawyers, prosecutors and the general public are hereby advised to first call the proper court through its hotline, or access it through its email address or Facebook account, if available, wherein it shall be determined if the matter being raised is urgent. If urgent, only then will the justice or judge on-duty, together with the skeleton-staff, go to court to receive and act on the said urgent matter. All calls and messages shall be entertained from 8:30am to 2:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Accordingly, all justices and judges on-duty, together with their skeleton staff, must stay at their respective residences, and shall only go to their courts once it has been determined that an urgent matter has to be acted upon. Otherwise, they need not go to their courts.
Court personnel who were previously authorized to report to their respective courts, e.g., those concerned with the payments and release of salaries and allowances in the Judiciary, shall continue to report to their respective courts as the need arises.
Attached herein as Annex A are the hotlines, and available email addresses and Facebook accounts of all courts nationwide.
Law enforcement agents are strongly advised to let our justices, judges and their respective skeleton-staff pass through checkpoints as they all likewise have a constitutional mandate to perform.
All provisions of prior issuances inconsistent herewith are deemed repealed.
FOR STRICT COMPLIANCE.
Parañaque City, March 20, 2020.
(SGD.) HON. DIOSDADO M. PERALTAChief Justice
ANNEX A
Collegiate Courts
Trial Courts
First Judicial Region
Second Judicial Region
Third Judicial Region
FourthJudicial Region
Fifth Judicial Region
Sixth Judicial Region
Seventh Judicial Region
Eighth Judicial Region
Ninth Judicial Region
Tenth Judicial Region
Eleventh Judicial Region
Twelfth Judicial Region
Cite This Law
Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection, Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 32-2020, Mar 20, 2020 (Philippines)
Rising Cases of COVID-19 Infection, Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 32-2020 (Phil. 2020)
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