SC goes digital: E-filing a must in civil cases starting Sept. 1

Inquirer file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine judiciary is set to go digital, with first and second-level courts gradually transitioning to electronic filing (e-Filing) for civil cases starting Sept. 1.

Camille Ting, spokesperson for the Supreme Court, announced on Tuesday that trial courts would only process pleadings and other court submissions in civil cases if these were accompanied by an electronic version of the same document in portable document format (PDF), submitted via email.

This initiative is part of the development of eCourt System Version 2.0 (eCourt PH 2.0), a key component of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027.

READ: Supreme Court issues email use guidelines

The high tribunal en banc approved the guidelines for e-Filing on Aug. 20.

Ting said that electronic submissions must be completed within 24 hours of the primary filing, whether through personal submission, registered mail, or accredited courier.

She added that courts may waive the electronic submission requirement if the annexes, exhibits, or other accompanying documents could not be easily converted to PDF or if these consisted of sealed and confidential materials.

Full implementation

Starting Sept. 1, all orders and documents issued by trial courts in civil cases must also be electronically transmitted in PDF to the parties and their counsel via email.

The full implementation of e-Filing is expected by December.

“By Dec. 1, the primary and mandatory manner of service of outbound court documents within a certified judicial region shall be through email, except for summons, which shall continue to be through personal or substituted service under Rule 14 of the Rules of Court,” Ting said.

All pleadings and other court submissions within certified judicial regions will also be required to be filed via email, except for initiatory pleadings, which must still be filed through personal service, registered mail, or accredited courier.

Confidentiality, privacy

The high court added that judicial regions would be certified by the Office of the Court Administrator once the Regional Court Manager (RCM) or, in areas without RCMs, all executive judges of the region should confirm that the courts were equipped to handle electronic submissions.

Each court must also have sufficiently trained personnel to manage electronic submissions as well as judges who are capable of issuing decisions, resolutions, and orders using electronic case records. There should also be a website available for storing and providing public access to all court submissions and issued documents, subject to privacy and confidentiality rules.