By: Raydes B. Barcia
Legazpi City —In an effort to win back the people’s confidence in the justice system, Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo urged the members of the legal community to give dignity and nobility to its profession to regain public trust.
Speaking before the second salvo of the Ethics Caravan for the Proposed Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) at the University of Mindanao, Matina Campus, Davao City, Davao del Sur on Monday (October 24, 2022), Gesmundo urged the members of the legal community to give dignity and nobility to their profession to regain the trust of the people in lawyers and in the entire justice system in the country.
Gesmundo’s plea during the second leg of the Ethics Caravan for the proposed Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) put emphasis on the importance of inclusive and consultative dialogues with all concerned stakeholders in revising the Code.
The Chief Justice underscored that lawyers as officers of the court, “play a crucial role in the administration of justice and upholding the rule of law.”
“This a clarion call for all of us to take the responsibility of giving dignity and nobility to our profession, and by doing so, put back the trust of our people not only in lawyers but in the justice system as a whole,” the Chief Justice said.
Though, the High Court chief said that the legal profession “is no stranger to allegations of scandal and controversy.
“In fact, it is a general belief that in practice, lawyers either by hook or by crook use unsavory tactics to further their client’s, or even their own, interest. Some lawyers even lie, cheat, or steal to gain the upper hand. It is no wonder that lawyers have often been perceived as liars, having no scruples at all, and only after his or her professional fees,” Gesmundo said.
Along these lines, Gesmundo cited the proposed CPRA seeks to improve and modernize the practice of law. The Chief Justice shared that it tackles the use of social media, formation, and definition of the lawyer-client relationship, the conduct of non-legal staff, and other intricacies experienced by practitioners today.
“The CPRA also consolidates separate regulations pertaining to the discipline of lawyers. It also abbreviates administrative proceedings and imposes a standardized table of penalties for varying degrees of offenses,’ the Chief Justice said.
The CPRA not only addresses the punitive aspect of the unethical legal practice but also captures the ideal characteristics that all members of the bar must live up to independence, propriety, fidelity, competence and diligence, equality, and accountability.”
Chief Justice Gesmundo emphasized that apart from aiming to inform members of the Bar about the proposed CPRA, the goal of the Ethics Caravan “is to allow for a more inclusive and consultative dialogue with all relevant stakeholders including practitioners, the academe, and other stakeholders, to further fine-tune the proposed provisions and address any concern which might have been previously overlooked.”
Gesmundo encourages everyone to work with the judiciary and help it achieve its goal of delivering timely and effective justice, stressing that: “Efficiency, Innovation, and Access, the outcomes of the SPJI, may only be attained through meaningful cooperation between the members of the bar, the bench, court officials and employees, other public officials, and court users.
This Ethics Caravan thrust is to open more avenues for cooperation between the court and various sectors. The five-leg Ethics Caravan is part of the Supreme Court’s efforts to update the 34-year-old Code of Professional Responsibility and craft a modern, relevant, and responsive guide for lawyers’ conduct.
Similarly, it aims to introduce the proposed CPRA and its salient provisions to stakeholders and the general public as part of the Supreme Court’s efforts to update the 34-year-old Code of Professional Responsibility and craft a modern, relevant, and responsive guide for lawyers’ conduct.
The first Caravan was held in Cebu City last September. After the Cebu and Davao legs, consultations with stakeholders on the proposed CPRA will be conducted in Naga City, Baguio City, and the NCR. Gesmundo also gave an overview of the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI).
Led by the Supreme Court Sub-Committee for the Revision of the Code of Professional Responsibility (Sub-Committee), with the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-Australia, The Asia Foundation, The European Union, Justice Sector Reform Program: Governance in Justice, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the Philippine Association of Law Schools, the Ethics Caravan is a series of consultations seeking to incorporate in the CPRA the underlying ethical considerations of a technology-driven Judiciary and legal profession in line with the Supreme Court’s SPJI.