THE COURT OF LAST RESORT

SUPREME COURT
determines

with finality what the law is and should be no more appeals can be made from its judgment or decision a decision of a Supreme Court division is considered a decision of the entire Court

COMPOSITION

Chief Justice fourteen Associate Justices

 Members

of the Supreme Court may sit en banc or in its discretion, in divisions of three, five or seven any vacancy shall be filled within ninety days the President shall appoint a new member from the list of at least three nominees prepared by the Judicial and Bar Council retirement age is seventy years old

QUALIFICATIONS:
must

be a natural-born citizen must be at least forty years of age must have been for fifteen years or more a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law must be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity, and independence

JUDICIAL POWER
is

vested in one Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be established by law the power to apply the laws to contests or disputes concerning legally recognized rights includes the duty of the courts to settle actual controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable

JUDICIAL FUNCTIONS
exercise

original jurisdiction over cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and over petitions for certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas corpus

 review,

revise, reverse, modify, or affirm on appeal or certiorari final judgments and orders of lower courts in the following cases
all cases questioning the constitutionality of any treaty, international or executive agreement, law, presidential decree, proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance or regulation all cases involving the legality of any tax, impost, assessment or toll, or the penalties imposed all cases in which the jurisdiction of any lower court is in issue all criminal cases in which the penalty imposed is reclusion perpetua or higher all cases in which only an error or question of law is involved.

ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS

assign temporarily judges of lower courts to other stations order a change of venue or place of trial to avoid a miscarriage of justice promulgate rules concerning the protection and enforcement of constitutional rights, pleading, practice, and procedure in all courts, the admission to the practice of law, the integrated bar, and legal assistance to the underprivileged appoint all officials and employees of the Judiciary in accordance with the Civil Service Law

SAFEGUARDS

The Supreme Court is a constitutional body. It cannot be abolished nor may its membership or manner of its meetings be changed by mere legislation. The members of the Supreme Court may not be removed except by impeachment. The Supreme Court may not be deprived of its minimum original and appellate jurisdiction as prescribed in Article VIII, Section 5 of the Constitution. The appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court may not be increased by law without its advice and concurrence.

SAFEGUARDS

Appointees to the judiciary are now nominated by the Judicial and Bar Council and no longer subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointments. The administrative functions of the Court pertain to the supervision over all courts and the personnel thereof. The Supreme Court has exclusive power to discipline judges of lower courts or order their dismissal. The members of the Supreme Court and all lower courts have security of tenure , which cannot be undermined by a law reorganizing the judiciary.

SAFEGUARDS

They shall not be designated to any agency performing quasi-judicial or administrative functions. The salary of judges shall be fixed by law and during their continuance in office, it shall not be decreased. The judiciary shall enjoy fiscal autonomy. The Supreme Court alone may initiate rules of court. Only the Supreme Court may order the temporary detail of judges. The Supreme Court can appoint all officials and employees of the judiciary.

SUPREME COURT HAS THE SUPERVISION OVER THE FOLLOWING OFFICES:

Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) - tasked to oversee the appointment of judges in the first and second level courts, as well as justices of appellate courts. Its ex-officio Chairperson is the Chief Justice. Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) tasked with the supervision and administration of the lower courts and their personnel. Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) training school for justices, judges, court personnel, lawyers and aspirants to judicial posts.

SUPREME COURT HAS THE SUPERVISION OVER THE FOLLOWING OFFICES:

The Public Information Office (PIO) - primary task is to disseminate news about the Supreme Court and its decisions and provide the public with judicial information that the general public can easily comprehend. OCA-Fiscal Monitoring Division (FMD) - the FMD is mandated by the OCA with the power, authority and duty to examine, audit and reconcile all funds collected by the Clerks of Court (Accountable Officers / Officersin-Charge) of the RTC, MeTC, MTC, MCTC, MTCC, SDC and SCC. OCA-Court Management Office (CMO) - provides services relating to judicial supervision and monitoring; judicial audit and inspection; judicial assignments and placements; and circuitization and decircuitization of courts; and delineation of the territorial areas lower courts.

SUPREME COURT HAS THE SUPERVISION OVER THE FOLLOWING OFFICES:

SC Office of Administrative Services (SC-OAS) - its functions consist of the following: Personnel Management; Human Resource Training and Development; Property Management; Records Management; Management of Leave Matters; Management of Employees Welfare and Benefits; Discipline of Personnel; Maintenance and improvement of buildings and premises; and general security services of the Court Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC) - Through the OBC, the court conducts Bar Examinations. In connection with disciplining lawyers, the OBC receives administrative complaints, processes and submits the same to the Court for appropriate action. Fiscal Management and Budget Office (FMBO) - tasked with all financial transactions of the Supreme Court including that of the OCA, all the Halls of Justice, the PhilJA, and the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

SUPREME COURT HAS THE SUPERVISION OVER THE FOLLOWING OFFICES:

Program Management Office (PMO) - created by the Supreme Court to coordinate and manage the technical and administrative aspects of the judicial reform program implementation, particularly the implementation of the Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR). Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) COMMITTEE - in charge of administering the rules for the implementation of the MCLE, subject to the approval of the Supreme Court.

CHIEF JUSTICE RENATO C. CORONA

23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court one of the youngest magistrates ever to be appointed to the Supreme Court

ASSOCIATE JUSTICES
Justice Antonio T. Carpio Justice Conchita Carpio Morales Justice Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr. Justice Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-deCastro Justice Arturo B. Brion Justice Diosdado M. Peralta

ASSOCIATE JUSTICES
Justice Lucas P. Bersamin Justice Mariano C. del Castillo Justice Roberto A. Abad Justice Martin S. Villarama, Jr. Justice Jose P. Perez Justice Jose C. Mendoza Justice Maria Lourdes A. Sereno

GROUP 4

END