Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez (INQUIRER file photo)
MANILA, Philippines – Reforms in the judiciary and the legal profession are not the missions of the Supreme Court alone, Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez told law graduates in Davao city.
Speaking before the law students of Jose Maria College Foundation, Inc. (JMCFI) in Davao on Thursday, Marquez said, “all lawyers have a part to play in strengthening the courts and the legal profession.”
“It is our hope that each of you contributes to this improvement in your own way,” Marquez said in his speech.
The graduates are set to take the Bar examinations in September this year.
“We ask you, future lawyers, to cultivate in yourselves this commitment. Remember that you become a lawyer, not only for yourself, but for others,” the justice of the High Court said.
“A strong and effective judiciary, together with a legal profession made up of lawyers with integrity and a zeal for service, will go far in serving the Filipino people,” he advised the students.
Marquez also mentioned the five-year Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) that was launched in 2022 by the magistrates led by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.
The plan carries the four guiding principles of timely and fair justice, transparent and accountable judiciary, equal and inclusive justice, and technology adaptive management.
SPJI aims to achieve efficiency through streamlined court systems.
It introduces innovation through the creation of ICT infrastructure for the courts.
It also promotes access of ordinary persons to justice through inclusivity, transparency, and accountability in court adjudicative and administrative systems and procedures.
“As you enter the legal profession and learn the ropes of what it means to be a lawyer, do your best to keep your idealism, your optimism, your steadfast belief in the rule of law and the administration of justice,” he remarked.
“Keep in mind that lawyers are meant to solve problems for others, not to create them,” he emphasized.
During the 2022 Bar examinations, JMCFI ranked number three for first-time takers, with 51 passers out of 100 examinees.
The school also took the number five spot in all of the bar takers last year.
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