Supreme Court Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, Chairperson of the 2023 Bar Examinations and Chairperson of the Committee on Bar Reforms, said that the conduct of annual Bar Examinations may be digitized permanently.
He disclosed this information in his keynote message at the testimonial dinner of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) College of Law for its bar passers at La Pergola Verde, Pasay City last June 11.
Justice Hernando also shared with PUP’s new lawyers the ongoing discussions about the possible revision of Rule 138 of the Rules of Court, which governs the practice of law and provides the procedures for admission to the Bar. Among the changes being considered are the permanent digitalization of the Bar Exams; the condensation of the Bar Exams schedule into three days; the reconfiguration of Bar subject weights; and a shorter time gap between law school graduation and the Bar Exam schedule.
In February 2022, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo bared the Supreme Court’s plan to continue the digitized format in future Bar Exams. Chief Justice Gesmundo called on the academe’s support for the Court’s efforts towards digital transformation, especially after the conclusion of the first ever localized and automated Bar Examinations.
As early as 2019, Associate Justice Gesmundo underscored the country’s need to advance its legal education when he chaired the first ever Legal Education Summit (LES).
Chief Justice Gesmundo said that the Supreme Court’s Technical Working Group on Implementing the Recommendation from the LES of 2019 has already commenced its work to propose a revision to Rule 138 of the Rules of Court, chaired by Associate Justice Hernando.
It can be noted that Chief Justice Gesmundo intends to focus on two things during his term since his appointment last April 5, 2021 apart from implementing procedural rules. First is case decongestion, which is the substantial reduction of the dockets of the Supreme Court; second is a technology-driven Judiciary.
Source: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/28623/, https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/
