LEGAL RESEARCH and THESIS WRITING

FEU Institute of Law

First Semester, AY 2015 2016
Atty. Gwen B. Marquez

Part I Introduction to Legal Research

A. Definition of Legal Research
B. Importance of Legal Research
C. Sources of Legal Research
D. Sources of Law
1. Primary Sources
2. Secondary Sources
3. Finding Tools

Part II Introduction to Philippine Law

A. Historical Evolution of Philippine Law
1. Pre-Spanish
2. Spanish
3. American
4. Japanese
5. Philippine Republic
6. Martial law
7. Republic Revival
B. Overview of the Philippine legal system
1. Executive
President
- Section 1, Article VII, The 1987 Constitution
o Marcos v. Manglapus, 177 SCRA 668
- Section 18, Article VII, The 1987 Constitution
o David v. Arroyo, 489 SCRA 160
Vice President
Departments
Bureaus
- Section 17, Article VII, The 1987 Constitution
2. Legislative
- Section 1, Article VI, The 1987 Constitution
- Section 26 (2), Article VI, The 1987 Constitution
o Tio v. Videogram Regulatory Board, 151 SCRA 208

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- Section 27, Article VI, The 1987 Constitution

Senate of the Philippines
- Section 2, Article VI, The 1987 Constitution
House of Representatives
- Section 5 (1), Article VI, The 1987 Constitution
3. Judiciary
- Section 5, Article VIII, The 1987 Constitution
- Rule-making power
Supreme Court
- Section 1, Article VIII, The 1987 Constitution
Court of Appeals
- Section 9, Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 as amended by Republic Act No.
7902
Sandiganbayan
- Section 4, Article XI, The 1987 Constitution
Court of Tax Appeals
- Section 7, Republic Act No. 1125 as amended by Republic Act No.
9282
Regional Trial Courts
- Batas Pambansa Blg. 129
Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in cities, Municipal Trial Courts,
and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts
- Batas Pambansa Blg. 129
4. Quasi Judicial Agencies
5. Constitutional Commissions
- Article IX A, The 1987 Constitution
Civil Service Commission
- Article IX B, The 1987 Constitution
Commission on Elections
- Article IX C, The 1987 Constitution
Commission on Audit
- Article IX D, The 1987 Constitution
6. Local Governments
Part III Sources of Law
A. Sources of Law
Primary sources of law - recorded laws and rules enforced by the state
1. Constitution
- Preamble
- Article 7, The New Civil Code (NCC)
o Angara v. Electoral Commission, G. R. No. L-45081, July 15, 1936
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2. Statutes or statutory law

a. Statutes or Legislative enactments
- Enactment of laws
Section 26 (2), Article VI, The 1987 Constitution
Section 27, Article VI, The 1987 Constitution
- Repeal and amendment of laws
- Presumption of validity
- Declaration of unconstitutionality
o De Agbayani v. PNB, 28 SCRA 429
- Effectivity of laws
Article 2, NCC
o Taada v. Tuvera, G. R. No. 63915, December 29, 1983
o Honasan II v. The Panel of Investigating Prosecutors of the
Department of Justice, April 13, 2004
- Article 3, NCC
- Article 7, NCC
- Article 8, NCC
o Tawang Multipurpose Cooperative v. La Trinidad Water District,
G. R. No. 166471, March 22, 2011
b. Executive/Presidential and other issuances of the different government
agencies including GOCCs
- Section 1, Chapter 1, Book III, Administrative Code
- Section 2 to 7, Chapter 2, Book III, Administrative Code
- Section 7, Chapter 2, Book IV, Administrative Code
- Section 50, Chapter 11, Book IV, Administrative Code
c. Treaties and international agreements
- Section 2, Article II, The 1987 Constitution
o Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines v.
Duque, G. R. No. 173034, October 9, 2007
- Section 21, Article II, The 1987 Constitution
o
Bayan Muna v. Romulo, G. R. No. 159618, February 1, 2011
d. Administrative rules and regulations
e. Local ordinances and resolutions
- Sections 1 to 2, Article X, The 1987 Constitution
o Magtajas v. Pryce Properties, 234 SCRA 255
- Section 16, The Local Government Code (LGC)
o City of Manila v. Laguio, G. R. No. 118127, April 12, 2005
o White Light Corporation v. City of Manila, G. R. No. 122846,
January 20, 2009
3. Case Law or Jurisprudence
- Article 4, NCC

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Article 8, NCC
o Spouses Benzonan v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No. 97973, January
27, 1992
o Silverio v. Republic, G. R. No. 174689, October 19, 2007
o Re: Resolution Granting Automatic Permanent Total Disability
Benefits to Heirs of Justices and Judges Who Die in Actual
Service, A.M. No. 02-12-01-SC

Decisions Proper

Subordinate Decisions

Special Tribunals

Judicial System at present

1. Trial courts of limited jurisdiction
2. Trial courts of general jurisdiction
3. Court of Appeals
4. Court of last resort

Principles in studying case law

1. Doctrine of Precedent
2. Stare Decisis and Res Judicata
o Ting v. Velez-Ting, G. R. No. 166562, March 31, 2009
o Philippine Farming Corporation, LTD. v. Llanos, et al., G. R.
No. L-21014 August 14, 1965
3. Reversal of judgment and Overruling of decision
- Section 4 (3), Article VIII, The 1987 Constitution
o Castro v. JBC, G. R. No. 191002, April 20, 2010
4. Ratio Decidendi and Obiter Dictum
o Obra v. Spouses Badua, G. R. No. 149125, August 9, 2007
o Office of the Ombudsman v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No.
160675, June 16, 2006
5. Binding authority and Persuasive authority

Forms of Decisions
1. Dispositive or Fallo and Ratio Decidendi
o Obra v. Spouses Badua, G. R. No. 149125, August 9, 2007
2. Minute Resolutions and Decisions
o Philippine Health Care Providers, Inc. v. Commissioner of
Internal Revenue, G. R. No. 167330, September 18, 2009
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3. Opinion and Decision

o Disini v. Secretary of Justice, G. R. No. 203335, February 11,
2014
4. Regulations and rulings of administrative agencies

Secondary sources of law

B. Classification by authority
1. Primary authority
a. Mandatory primary authority
b. Persuasive mandatory authority
2. Secondary authority
C. Classification by source
1. Primary sources
2. Secondary sources
D. Classification by Character
1. Statute Law Books
2. Case Law Books or Law Reports
3. Combination of Stature Law Books and Case Law Books
4. Law Finders
Part IV Legal Research Process and Strategies
A. Systematic Approach to Legal Research
a. Identify and analyze the significant facts surrounding the particular
problem
b. Formulate the legal issues to be researched
c. Research the issues presented
d. Update determine if your legal bases have been repealed, altered, or
reversed
B. Search tools and finders, legal research systems
1. Digests
2. Annotations
3. Indexes
4. Legal encyclopedias
5. Legal research systems
6. Legal knowledge management systems
C. Elements of legal research
D. Common methods of search
1. Topic method
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2.
3.
4.
5.

Fact word method

Case method
Dictionary method
Popular name method

E. Digesting cases
o Keep it to a useful length but do not shortchange the facts
a. Facts
b. Issues
c. Ruling
d. Ratio
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Orceo v. Comelec, G. R. No. 190779, March 26, 2010

Villamaria v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No. 165881, April 19, 2006
People v. Panis, 142 SCRA 664
People v. Ortiz-Miyake, G. R. Nos. 115338-39, September 16, 1997
Mercidar Fishing Corporation v. NLRC, 297 SCRA 440
Philippine Airlines v. NLRC, 302 SCRA 582
Samson v. NLRC, G. R. No. 121035, April 12, 2000
PAL v. NLRC, 194 SCRA 139
Judy Philippines v. NLRC, 289 SCRA 755
National Bookstore v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No. 146741 February 27, 2002

F. Synthesizing Cases
o
o
o
o

Santos v. Court of Appeals, G. R. No. 112019, January 4, 1995

Chi Ming Tsoi v. Court of Appeals and Lao-Tsoi, G. R. No. 119190, January 16, 1997
Republic v. Court of Appeals and Molina, G. R. No. 108763, February 13, 1997
Marcos v. Marcos, G. R. No. 136490, October 19, 2000
Part V Citations

A. Citation of statutes
1. Constitution
2. Session laws
3. Codes
4. Bills, Resolutions and Committee Reports
5. Treaties and International Agreements
6. Presidential Acts
7. Administrative Rules and Regulations
8. Ordinances
9. Court Rules
B. Citation of case law or jurisprudence
1. Case Names
a. General rule
b. Exceptions

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2. Case Reports
a. Supreme Court decisions
b. Court of Appeals decisions
c. Other Courts decisions
d. Administrative Decisions