SC approves remote video online hearings
>> Sunday, June 20, 2021
THE SUPREME COURT has
allowed lower courts nationwide to conduct fully remote videoconferencing
hearings to not delay trial proceedings, amid the threat of Covid-19
Court Administrator Midas Marquez issued Circular 67-2021 informing all judges of Municipal and Metropolitan Trial Courts, and Regional Trial Courts that Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has approved the conduct of remote hearings through video conference.
“All judges of the first and second level courts may conduct fully remote videoconferencing hearings, regardless of their physical location in the country, with notice to the Office of the Court Administrator, until further notice,” Marquez said.
He added that this was following the request of some judges and court personnel, “in consideration of their health and safety, as well as the court users.’”
The OCA also took note of different quarantine classifications in localities and surge cases in some areas.
As the OCA releases this directive, more courts have been forced to temporarily close its premises due to Covid-19 threat.
The SC earlier announced that courts in Narra and Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte, Butuan City and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan were closed last June 15 but are now open.
These courts may be reached through their official hotlines and email addresses found on the SC website.
Judiciary employees, along with other frontline personnel in essential sectors, have been included in the A4 priority category on the government’s priority vaccination list.
Health authorities on Tuesday logged 5,177 new Covid-19 infections, pushing national caseload to 1,235,467.
Of these, 53,203 are deemed active cases, while recoveries are tallied at 1,161,252. Fatalities rose to 21,012.
Court Administrator Midas Marquez issued Circular 67-2021 informing all judges of Municipal and Metropolitan Trial Courts, and Regional Trial Courts that Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has approved the conduct of remote hearings through video conference.
“All judges of the first and second level courts may conduct fully remote videoconferencing hearings, regardless of their physical location in the country, with notice to the Office of the Court Administrator, until further notice,” Marquez said.
He added that this was following the request of some judges and court personnel, “in consideration of their health and safety, as well as the court users.’”
The OCA also took note of different quarantine classifications in localities and surge cases in some areas.
As the OCA releases this directive, more courts have been forced to temporarily close its premises due to Covid-19 threat.
The SC earlier announced that courts in Narra and Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte, Butuan City and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan were closed last June 15 but are now open.
These courts may be reached through their official hotlines and email addresses found on the SC website.
Judiciary employees, along with other frontline personnel in essential sectors, have been included in the A4 priority category on the government’s priority vaccination list.
Health authorities on Tuesday logged 5,177 new Covid-19 infections, pushing national caseload to 1,235,467.
Of these, 53,203 are deemed active cases, while recoveries are tallied at 1,161,252. Fatalities rose to 21,012.
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