Lawyers required to electronically file certain cases before SC starting July 1

MANILA — Lawyers who want to file certain cases before the Supreme Court will be mandated to file them electronically, aside from the usual paper-based filing beginning next month. 

High court spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting said this is part of the Supreme Court’s shift to a fully digital e-court system.

During the transition period from July 1 until September 30, lawyers must file digitally with the SC through the eCourt PH app which is available on the Philippine Judiciary Platform (PJP) — a unified online portal for court services.

This is in addition to the traditional paper-based filing either via personal, registered mail, or courier.

These include initiatory pleadings and motions for extension of time in certain cases:

1. Petitions for review on certiorari under Rule 45 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, with or without applications for temporary restraining orders (TRO), writs of preliminary injunction (WPI), or other provisional remedies

2. Review of judgments and final orders or resolutions of the Commission on Elections and the Commission on Audit under Rule 64 of the Rules of Civil Procedure

3. Petitions for certiorari, prohibition, or mandamus under Rule 65 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, with or without applications for TROs, WPIs, or other provisional remedies

4. Petitions for contempt

5. Petitions for the issuance of prerogative writs, including habeas corpus, amparo,
habeas data, kalikasan, and continuing mandamus

6. Quo warranto actions

However, beginning October 1, physical filings by lawyers will no longer be accepted.

Ting said this process will speed up case proceedings as it will “cut back on the time that is needed to serve the pleadings to the parties and to the court”.

“It would be faster because even the service of the resolution of the Supreme Court will be done through the PJP. So, immediate na siya. You don’t have to wait for how many days before you’ll see a copy of resolution,” she explained.

The SC vowed that “robust security mechanisms” are in place to ensure data security and privacy.

For now, only the lawyers involved in a case and the SC can access the files online.

“Right now, only the lawyers of the parties involved will have access to the cases. Hindi pa siya available to the public. But in the future, the Supreme Court would like the pleadings and decisions to be accessible to the public,” she added.

When asked whether members of the media can still access relevant decisions and resolutions, Ting said that “only those that are of public interest” will be published online.

“Only those that are of public interest, yung mga public interest cases na inire-request ninyo. ‘Can I see a pleading, do you have a copy’. We usually upload those in the website,” the official stated.