SC eyes to speed up trials with new ‘innovative’ projects

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THE Supreme Court is eyeing to speed up the resolution of cases in the country through a number of “innovative projects.”

During the 3^rd “CJ Meets the Press” conference on Thursday, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said the judiciary has been implementing and planning to introduce new innovative systems to speed up trials, which include case decongestion project “e-courts.”

“A dramatic intervention is an e-court to increase efficiency in monitoring cases, enhance transparency,” Sereno told reporters.

“For the first time we hope to provide genuine connectivity so there’s no reason for delay. Internet access will increase access to reading material, and efficiency,” she added.

As of August 2015, Sereno said as many as 82 operational e-Courts were established in the country, covering Quezon City, Angeles in Pampanga, Lapu-Lapu and Tacloban.

Sereno said the total number of e-Courts by the end of 2015 will be at 167, as they are still eyeing to open 85 more courts in Makati, Cebu and Davao.

Saying that “justice can be in real-time,” Sereno added that the e-Courts’ goal was to shoulder 30 percent of the total case load in the Philippines.

The chief magistrate also said the high court will implement “automated hearings” to capture the judiciary’s activity electronically.

“As of date 100 courts in various cities have been provided equipment four automated hearings,” Sereno told reporters, adding that automated hearings are targeted in the National Capital Region by the end of 2016.

Sereno added that the Supreme Court was also planning to hire 635 court decongestion officers to assist courts in its daily processes.

“We hope to reduce average length of trials from 5-7 years to six months to 2 weeks for simple cases,” she said. Yuji Vincent Gonzales