Knowledge Sharing with Afghanistan
by Dennis Russell R. Baldago

THE SUPREME COURT will host a Study Tour for an Afghanistan Delegation composed of Justices, Judges, Law Professors, and other Government Officials from November 30 to December 8 as part of the Knowledge Sharing initiatives of the Asia Pacific Judicial Reform Network where the Philippine Judiciary is an active member.

The main purpose of the Study Tour is to expose the Delegation to some of the innovative and successful steps taken by the Philippine Judiciary to modernize the judicial system.

The Supreme Court Committee on Knowledge Sharing and Regional Cooperation chaired by Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez will lead in welcoming the Delegation headed by Darryl Veal, Deputy Chief of Party of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – Afghanistan Rule of Law Project (ARoLP). Their itinerary includes a courtesy call to Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno and an orientation on the initiatives that the Philippine Judiciary has undertaken to upgrade, improve, and reform the present legal and judicial system in order to meet the challenges of the new millennium. This includes projects to computerize court systems and procedures.

The Delegation has also expressed interest in learning how the Philippine Supreme Court institutionalized its Program Management Office (PMO) which they believe is responsible for the efficient and facilitative donor coordination in the Philippine Judiciary.

During their visit, the Delegation will also meet with the Justices of the Sandiganbayan and officials of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), Ombudsman, Department of Justice (DOJ), Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), University of the Philippines, Ateneo Law School, and Asian Development Bank (ADB).

On separate schedules, they will visit a Commercial Court and attend the 3rd Distinguished Lecture on “The Writ of Amparo – an International Perspective” to be delivered by Abigail Hansen Goldman, Judicial Guarantee Advisor of the International Committee of the Red Cross, at the University of the East in Manila.

Knowledge Sharing is part of the Reform Support System component of the Philippine Judiciary’s Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR). This activity involves the exchange and sharing of best practices and experiences on judicial reforms in the local and international settings to improve the administration and dispensation of justice.
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Chapter Authors’ Inception Workshop for Judicial Reform Handbook Project Held in Bangkok
by Dennis Russell D. Baldago

THE JUDICIAL Reform Handbook Project Chapter Authors’ Inception Workshop was held at Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok from October 31 to November 2, completing the first step to the project’s implementation.

Justice Antonio T. Carpio of the Philippine Supreme Court chairs the Judicial Reform Handbook Project Board.

The Workshop was conducted to discuss and further develop the proposed strategic outcomes of the Handbook, identify the role which chapter authors will play in its development, and to develop an authors’ network, or peer group, to provide a forum for interaction, exchange ideas, and support needed during and after the drafting process.

The participants brainstormed on and finalized the structure, content, and focus of the Handbook’s individual chapter topics and author contributions. They also reviewed the drafting process to ensure that a unified methodology, focus, and approach will be adopted by all chapter authors.

The team is already in the process of writing the first draft of chapter contributions and is devising a framework for the review and validation of the Handbook based on the discussions during the Workshop. The draft will be submitted to the Project Board for comments.

Court Administrator Zenaida N. Elepańo was nominated by the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) to write the Handbook Chapter on Case Management and Delay Reduction. Professor Myrna Feliciano, Supreme Court Consultant, will write the Chapter on Ethics, Integrity, and Judicial Accountability.

The Judicial Reform Handbook Project was conceived during the 1st APJRF RTD held from March 16 to 17, 2006 in Sydney, Australia hosted by the High Court of Australia, Federal Court of Australia, Supreme Court of New South Wales, and the New South Wales Judicial Commission.
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Why a Judicial Reform Network?

Over the last two decades, an unprecedented number of countries have undertaken significant judicial reforms. Various forces are increasing the demand for independent, accountable, and transparent judiciaries. These forces include regional and global economic integration, democratization, and a common international agenda on shared goals such as fighting crime, corruption, terrorism, reducing poverty, and improving access to healthcare, education and justice. At the same time, lessons learned, model pilot programs, and best practices have developed in many countries. New technologies now make it possible to collect, share, and disseminate valuable information, in real time, within countries, regions and the global judicial reform community.

The ability to obtain this information in a timely, targeted manner, from various sources and countries, is critical for judicial reformers throughout the world. If we are to learn from and support each other in making judicial independence and the rule of law a reality, and if we are to fulfill our constitutional obligations and international responsibilities, we must have expeditious and timely access to such information.
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