Unauthorized Practice of Consolidation and Lumping of Newly-Filed Cases Prior to Raffle

June 3, 2016

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 131-2016

 

Pursuant to the Supreme Court En Banc Resolution dated 16 March 2016 in A.M. No. 06-01-1-RTC (Re: Consolidation and Lumping of Newly-Filed Cases Prior to Raffling) and in view of Sections 2 1 and 4, 2 Chapter V of A.M. No. 05-8-02 (Guidelines on the Selection and Appointment of Executive Judges and Defining their Powers, Prerogatives and Duties) which took effect on 15 February 2004, all concerned are hereby DIRECTED to REFRAIN from the unauthorized practice of CONSOLIDATING and LUMPING of cases prior to the raffle of the newly-filed cases.

For your information, guidance and strict compliance.

(SGD.) RAUL BAUTISTA VILLANUEVADeputy Court AdministratorandOfficer-in-ChargeOffice of the Court Administrator

Footnotes

1. Raffle of Cases. — All cases filed with the first and second level courts in stations with two or more branches shall be assigned or distributed to the different branches by raffle. No case shall be assigned to any branch of a multiple-branch court without being raffled. Raffling of cases shall be regularly conducted at two o'clock in the afternoon every Monday and/or Thursday as warranted by the number of cases to be raffled.

2. Exclusion of vacant branches from raffle. — All vacant branches without regular judges shall be excluded from the raffle. However, once the vacancies are filled, the Executive Judge shall ensure that newly-filed cases shall be raffled to all branches on a 6:2:1 ratio as follows: six (6) newly-filed cases to each of the newly-filled branches; two (2) newly-filed cases to the existing branch or branches; and one (1) newly-filed case to the branch of the Executive Judge, until such time when the newly-filled branches in the station shall have been assigned such number of cases as will be equivalent to the number of cases raffled to the other branches during the period of vacancy.