THE Supreme Court (SC) has concluded its writeshop, or writing workshop, on the proposed amendments to the 2000 Revised Rules of Criminal Procedures.
The SC Public Information Office (PIO), in a statement, said the last day of the writeshop was held last April 9 in Baguio City where the magistrates are holding their annual summer session.
Quoting Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, the statement said the proposed amendments are part of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovation for 2022-2027, which will serve as a blueprint for judicial reforms aimed at achieving a responsive and real-time justice.
“The proposed changes to the 2000 Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure aim to enhance the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal judicial process,” Gesmundo told the sub-committee on revision headed by Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda.
“They introduce new concepts, clarify existing rules, and include provisions designed to better protect the rights of all parties involved,” he also said.
The Zalameda committee also examined inputs from regional consultations with judges, legal practitioners, and members of the academic community.
It likewise reviewed inputs from stakeholder consultations involving persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) that were organized by the Asia Foundation under the Fostering Advancement of Inclusive and Rights-Based Justice Program supported by the Australian government, the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation Inc., and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, which were conducted in various detention facilities across the country.
The Rules of Criminal Procedure guides judges and justices in the handling of criminal cases filed before the courts.
It was last revised more than two decades ago.
The SC earlier said the proposed revisions would make the rules more attuned to the changing nature of crimes, including the proliferation of cybercrimes; speed up the resolution of criminal cases, and decongest court dockets.
SC data show that from 300,000 criminal cases lodged in courts nationwide in 2019, the number rose to an estimated 800,000 in 2023.
