Roles and Timelines

Background
The JUSTICE Project has four components, to wit:
(1) Improving Judicial Efficiency
a. Reducing Docket Congestion
b. Reducing Court Delay
(2) Strengthening Contractual Enforcement
(3) Strengthening Enforcement of Intellectual
Property Rights
(4) Supporting Integrity and Confidence-Building
Measures for the Justice System
Background
• Integral to Reducing Docket Congestion and Court
Delay is an initiative on Improving the Efficiency of
the Courts through a Case Decongestion Effort
• This Case Decongestion effort is part of a larger
approach to improve judicial efficiency which
includes:
• Case management
• Procedural reforms
• Development of case carrying capacity
 CONGESTION
Refers to the condition of a court
burdened with a heavy volume of cases
“regardless of the time lag between filing and
disposition and irrespective of whether the
cases hit a snag as they inch forward towards
final disposition.”
(Justice Maximo Macaren, “Managing Delay in the Courts, Changing Work
Patterns”)
*Working definition of Congestion: 500 cases and above
 Congestion Indicators
Clearance Rate Disposition Rate
Formula: Outflow Formula: Outflow
Inflow Pending

Outflow – cases decided + • Pending – inflow + carry-

archived + transferred to over from past year
other salas/ courts (excluding small claims and
mediation/ arbitration)
Inflow – cases newly filed +
reopened + received from
other salas/ courts
 Figure 2: Annual Clearance Rate

117.57 125.61 132.23 117.16 99.67 106.97 114.21 94.35 113.47

114.03 128.53 124.74 118.52 131.54 109.46 100.29 88.68 114.47

108.63 113.66 117 111.75 116.94 110.1 102.57 89.91 108.82

115.37 113.22 121.96 115.35 105.75 111.52 101.16 102.74 110.88

98.84 96.18 98.86 101.35 99.66 107.18 107.93 87.78 99.72

 Figure 3: Annual Disposition Rate

42.39 34.88 35.43 35.71 33.16 43.24 47.84 14.29 35.87

41.34 36.98 37.02 37.63 42.66 42.88 42.80 12.21 36.69

44.25 46.95 47.24 50.58 51.29 51.47 50.67

41.17 41.62 44.5 47.97 42.81 48.70 44.62 17.47 41.11

35.88 34.62 34.1 35 33.48 32.83 32.67 11.18 31.21

 Figure 4: Pending Cases
Newly Filed Cases
900,000 (Inflow)
Cases Resolved
800,000 (Outflow)
Pending Cases
700,000

600,000

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
 Location Map of Heavily
Congested RTCs, METCs, II: Cagayan
Valley
and MTCs combined
I: Ilocos
Region III: Central
Luzon

NCR

IV-A:
CALABARZON
V: Bicol

IV-B:
MIMAROPA

VIII:
Eastern
Visayas

VI: Western
Visayas VII:
Central
Visayas

X: Northern
Mindanao

IX:
Zamboanga
Peninsula XI: Davao
Region,
Case SOCSARGEN

Decongestion XII: Central

Activity Mindanao
Case Decongestion
Activity
Objective
To reduce the number of pending
cases throughout the country
Target: 175 congested courts in the
JUSTICE target areas
 Methodology
• Conduct inventory of cases
• Identify target priority cases
IDENTIFY • Cases for disposition
• Cases for priority action by the court
• Case Decongestion Plan
• Judicial Supervisor and the Inventory Team to prepare
Inventory Report
• Court approves report and collaborate on preparation of a
Case Decongestion Plan
ACTION
• Implementation of Case Decongestion Plan
• With assistance from TAF team and legal researchers
• Provision of courier services for notices

• Submission of Case Decongestion Report to the Supreme

REPORT Court and the Oversight and Coordinating Group
 Examples of priority cases that can be
removed from the dockets
• Cases that may be dismissed by the court
motu proprio
• Dormant cases that may be archived
• Cases that may be referred for mediation
• Cases that may be plea-bargained
• Cases with incidents or motions for resolution
that may result in the disposition of the said
cases
• Cases that are ripe for decision
Examples of cases for priority action by the
court
• Cases with pending incidents/motions
• Dormant cases that have not been acted upon
by the court for a certain period
• Cases that have not been heard for a long
period of time
• Cases that have not been set or acted upon
since the beginning
• Cases that need to be fast tracked because of
its age
Management of Hustisyeah!
Project
Office of the Chief Justice

Chief Justice Committee to

Address Congestion and
Delay in Lower Courts

Oversight and Monitoring

Group
 Inventory Team

Judicial
Judge Supervisor

Volunteer
Lawyer

Legal Legal
OCA staff OCA staff OCA staff
Researcher Researcher
 Implementation Stage

Judge

Legal Legal Legal Legal

Researcher Researcher Researcher Researcher
 ASSIST IN THE INVENTORY OF
CASES: ASSIST IN DEVELOPMENT OF CASE
DECONGESTION PLAN: - - Collates
- Assists in typologizing cases
the recommendations based on the
- Identify cases that can be removed Case Inventory
from the dockets

ROLE OF LEGAL
RESEARCHERS
ASSIST IN IMPLEMENTING CASE
DECONGESTION PLAN:
- - Assists in the preparation of
subpoenas OTHER SUPPORT TASKS
- Prepare case briefs
- Conducts legal research
 Timeline - Makati

Preparation of Implementation
the Case – 6 months
Inventory – Decongestion (commences after
Round 1 – April Plan – the signing of the
7-25 judge of the case
Round 1 – April decongestion
28-June 16 plan)
 Timeline - Angeles

Implementation
Preparation of – 6 months
the Case (commences after
Inventory – Decongestion the signing of the
April 21-May 9 Plan – judge of the case
May 12-30 decongestion
plan)
Thank You