Supreme Court Issues Guidelines On Limited Operations Of Courts In GCQ and ECQ Areas

Courts under ECQ

(AC No. 35-2020)

Courts under GCQ

(AC No. 36-2020)

1. All courts in the ECQ Areas shall remain physically closed to all court users until 15 May 2020. They may be reached only through their respective hotline numbers, email addresses and/or Facebook accounts.

1. All branches of courts areas shall open beginning 04 May 2020, but only to act on urgent matters and a skeleton-staff to assist the judge.

Judges and court personnel who are more than fifty-nine (59) years old and those vulnerable to COVID-19 will report to the courts only for urgent matters and in exceptional circumstances. Otherwise, they shall work from home without taking any records out of the court.

Likewise, lawyers who are more than fifty-nine years of age may attend hearings on urgent matters unless they are ill or appear sickly and weak. Younger lawyers, if available, should instead attend on their behalf.

2. All courts shall continue to operate from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm from Monday to Friday until 15 May 2020. All electronic communications, however, must be transmitted by court users from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm.

2. All courts shall operate from 9:00am to 3:00pm.

3. The online filing of criminal complaints and information, posting of bail, and submission of other urgent pleadings shall continue to be in effect until 15 May 2020.

The scheduling of justices- and judges-on-duty, together with the skeleton staff, shall continue until 15 May 2020 to address urgent matters.

3. The online filing of criminal complaints and information, posting of bail, and the submission of other urgent pleadings areas may be availed of until 15 May 2020. For this purpose, the hotlines, email addresses and/or other accounts of the courts posted here shall be utilized.

4. Night courts and Saturday courts shall remain suspended until 15 May 2020.

4. Night courts and Saturday courts shall remain suspended until 15 May 2020.

5. All hearings, except on urgent matters (such as those mentioned in A.C No. 31-2020 dated 16 March 2020), shall remain suspended until 15 May 2020.

5. All hearings shall remain suspended until 15 May 2020, except hearings on urgent matters, such as those mentioned in A.C No. 31-2020.

The judges, in the exercise of their sound discretion, may set for hearing other urgent matters or concerns to expedite the proceedings of the disposition of the cases pending before their courts.

6. The filing of petitions, appeals, complaints, motions, pleadings and other court submissions that fall due up to 15 May 2020 is extended for 30 calendar days, counted from 16 May 2020, but pleadings and other court submissions may still be filed by the parties within the reglementary period on or before 15 May 2020 through electronic means, if preferred and able.

6. The filing of petitions, appeals, complaints, motions, pleadings and other court submissions that fall due up to 15 May 2020 is extended for 30 calendar days, counted from 16 May 2020, but pleadings and other court submissions may still be filed by the parties within the reglementary period on or before 15 May 2020 through electronic means, if preferred and able.

The raffle of newly-filed cases shall be conducted beginning 04 May 2020 in accordance with the regular schedule of raffle, and shall be attended only by the members of the Raffle Committee. The private lawyers and the general public shall be excluded during this period of public health emergency.

7. The periods for court actions with prescribed periods are also extended for 30 calendar days counted from 16 May 2020, except court actions on urgent matters.

7. The period for court actions with prescribed periods are also extended for 30 calendar days counted from 16 May 2020, except court actions on urgent matters.

8. All justices and judges shall continue to draft decisions and orders in their respective residences until 15 May 2020, which decisions shall be promulgated or issued once the courts are fully operational, except decisions and orders on urgent matters which shall be promulgated or issued during the ECQ period.

8. Decisions and orders drafted before and during the GCQ may be promulgated and released during this period, provided no hearings are necessary, except on urgent matters. Service of writs and other court processes on urgent matters shall proceed.

9. All official meetings, seminars, trainings and other functions in the judiciary are deferred until 15 May 2020, except those that may be called or authorized by the Chief Justice or by the Judiciary Tasks Force on COVID-19.

9. No actual meetings, seminars, trainings and other functions in judiciary shall take place during this period, except those that may be called or authorized by the Chief Justice of by the Judiciary Task Force on COVID-19.

10. Flag raising and retreat ceremonies are suspended until 15 May 2020.

10. Flag raising and retreat ceremonies are suspended until 15 May 2020.

11. Only those with official business shall be allowed to enter the halls of justice and courtrooms.

12. All those going to court shall observe the following medical health standards or hygiene practices while in the premises of the halls of justice:

• obligatory temperature check;
• compulsory wearing of face masks;
• regular use of alcohol for sanitation;
• application of disinfectants inside the court rooms and hall of justice common areas;
• maintenance of social or physical distancing;
• proper washing of hands; and
• exercise cough etiquette.

13. The Executive Judges of multi-sala stations and the Judges of single-sala courts shall coordinate with their respective local government units and/or health authorities on the proper protocols to be observed and the designation of medical or health care areas for the isolation of suspected infected individuals, and the continuous testing of those who may need it.