By Raydes B. Barcia
Legazpi City – The Supreme Court of the Philippines and the United States Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) reaffirmed its commitment to continue to work together on judicial reform programs.
In a meeting yesterday, January 18, 2023 held at the En Banc Session Hall, the justices of the country’s Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, and the United States Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) reaffirmed anew their commitment to continue working together on judicial reform programs.
Thus, checked the ongoing and concluded joint projects thus expressed their commitment for future collaborations.
Among the recently concluded projects between the High Court and the INL was the Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP), which has been successfully codified with the revision of Rule138-A or the Revised Law Student Practice Rule, requiring all Philippine law schools to establish a CLEP and law clinics nationwide.
The High Court Chief Justice noted that since the revision of the rule in 2019, law clinics from various law schools in the country have adopted, on their own initiatives, various approaches consistent with the needs of the vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.
The American delegation headed by INL Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lisa Johnson lauded the Supreme Court of the Philippines the long-standing relations as it fuels remarkable programs and reform for the next five years.
Johnson said she was pleased to partner with the Supreme Court as she noted the deep and long-standing relations between the Philippines and the United States.
Johnson commended the Supreme Court’s blueprint for reform for the next five years, the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 or the SPJI, including its objectives of efficiency, innovation, and access. (Raydes B. Barcia)