Since its introduction in the Philippines in the 1900s, the rules of Criminal Procedure have undergone a number of revisions, the latest being the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure, promulgated by the Supreme Court on 1 December 2000.
The 2000 revision of the Rules, admittedly, was set in a relatively different socioeconomic and legal backdrop. Since then, the Court has introduced and implemented various innovations aimed at ensuring the speedier and more just resolution of cases, particularly criminal cases, where an individual’s right to liberty is at risk.
The proposed amendments to the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure (Proposed Rules) incorporate these innovations introduced by the Court such as the Guidelines on the Conduct of Videoconferencing, Rules on the Use of Body-Worn Cameras in the Execution of Warrants, and the Implementation of the Enhanced e-Warrant System. The Proposed Rules likewise repeals inconsistent provisions of Rule 112 of the current Rules, in recognition of the authority of the DOJ to promulgate its own rules on preliminary investigation, as explained by the Court through Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda in a Resolution.
Beyond harmonization of the latest jurisprudence and issuances of the Court, the proposed Rules utilizes Gender-Fair Language, consistent with the continuing goal to be an inclusive and non-discriminatory Judiciary.
Since its introduction in the Philippines in the 1900s, the rules of Criminal Procedure have undergone a number of revisions, the latest being the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure, promulgated by the Supreme Court on 1 December 2000.
The 2000 revision of the Rules, admittedly, was set in a relatively different socioeconomic and legal backdrop. Since then, the Court has introduced and implemented various innovations aimed at ensuring the speedier and more just resolution of cases, particularly criminal cases, where an individual’s right to liberty is at risk.
The proposed amendments to the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure (Proposed Rules) incorporate these innovations introduced by the Court such as the Guidelines on the Conduct of Videoconferencing, Rules on the Use of Body-Worn Cameras in the Execution of Warrants, and the Implementation of the Enhanced e-Warrant System. The Proposed Rules likewise repeals inconsistent provisions of Rule 112 of the current Rules, in recognition of the authority of the DOJ to promulgate its own rules on preliminary investigation, as explained by the Court through Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda in a Resolution.
Beyond harmonization of the latest jurisprudence and issuances of the Court, the proposed Rules utilizes Gender-Fair Language, consistent with the continuing goal to be an inclusive and non-discriminatory Judiciary.
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The Proposed Rules is guided by the principles of the Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovation 2022-2027 with the end-goal to provide seamless access to justice for all. With the revisions introduced, the Court aims to produce a set of Rules of Criminal Procedure relevant to the times and takes advantage of the advancements in technology.
At the forefront of this undertaking is the Sub-Committee on the Revision of the Rules of Criminal Procedure headed by Supreme Court Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, Supreme Court Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez as the Vice-Chairperson, and Supreme Court Associate Justices Jose Midas P. Marquez, Antonio Kho Jr., and Maria Filomena D. Singh, as members. Sub-Committee also boasts a membership comprised of several judges from the trial courts, justices from appellate courts including the Court of Tax Appeals and the Sandiganbayan, key officials of government agencies tasked with law enforcement such as the Department of Justice, as well as private practitioners and members of the academe with known experience and expertise on the subject matter.
