Supreme Court reports improved case resolution rate in 2023

 

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has reported improvements in the number of cases it had resolved in 2023.

According to the SC’s year-end report, it had a total case output of 3,711 with a clearance rate of 84 percent as of September 2023.

The SC added that it had a disposition rate of 21 percent, a few points above last year’s 19 percent.

In its year-end report, the SC has enumerated its most notable rulings in 2023, including those listed below:

• Upheld the inclusion of Cotabato City in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
• Upheld the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN Act)
• Held that the Senate committed grave abuse of discretion in issuing contempt and arrest orders against Pharmally resource persons.
• Declared unconstitutional Republic Act 11935 which postponed the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections from its initial schedule of December 5, 2022 to the last Monday of October 2023
• Ruled that for online libel, courts may impose alternative penalty of fine instead of imprisonment.

In his New Year’s message on Sunday, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said that the judiciary’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) has been a success this year.

The SPJI is the high court’s framework for reforms which include the use of technology to address issues such as case backlogs.

Early 2023, the Chief Justice bared plans to further use technology, including artificial intelligence, to help expedite resolution of cases.