SC launches Justice Zone in QC

MANILA, Philippines–Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday assured that efforts to speed up the justice system would continue beyond 2016 as the Justice Zone program was launched in Quezon City.

The Justice Zone is an initiative of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) aimed at shortening legal proceedings by up to 50 percent.

The JSCC is composed of the judiciary, the Department of Justice and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

“The concept of justice, due process and fair play hindi makikita ng ordinaryong tao kung hindi natin inaayos ang sistema. If we have an integrated system of reforms, we will have a chance of correcting the errors,” Sereno said.

Sereno said Quezon City was chosen as pilot area of the Justice Zone because it has the biggest residential population at 2.9 million and it makes up 5 percent of the national caseload.

Through the efforts of various agencies, cases in Quezon City courts went down from 33,000 to 21,000, Sereno said. With the Justice Zone, she said they hope to reduce it further.

The Justice Zone involves interagency coordinative reforms in a locality, such as Alternative Dispute Resolution, Katarungang Pambarangay mediation, the Mediation and Conciliation Office with the Public Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice, paralegals, inmate monitoring system, among others.

There will also be a system where records are preserved digitally for easy monitoring.

Sereno said the project would continue beyond 2016 “because I have the commitment not just on a personal level of Secretary (Leila) De Lima and Secretary (Mar) Roxas but I have the commitment of the entire officership of the DILG and DOJ,” Sereno said. With a report from Jaymee Gamil, Philippine Daily Inquirer

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