After the conduct of successful public consultations nationwide in 2022 and early this year, the Supreme Court is set to hold the fifth and final leg of the Ethics Caravan for the Proposed Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) on January 27, 2022 at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila.
The five-leg Ethics Caravan, led by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, has been introducing the proposed CPRAand its salient provisions to stakeholders and the general public as part of the Supreme Court’s efforts to update the 34-year old Code of Professional Responsibility (Code) and craft a modern, relevant, and responsive guide for lawyers’ conduct.
Among the key changes in the CPRA is the addition of “accountability” in the title of the old Codeas a significant reinforcement of ethical commitment among lawyers.
In addition, changes were also made to the Lawyer’s Oath, which binds all lawyers as a source of obligations such that its violation is a ground for suspension, disbarment, or disciplinary action.
According to Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, who authored these changes, “when we saw the Lawyer’s Oath, there were some missing words that we thought were very important and should become part of the basic foundation of what being a lawyer means.”
Among these missing words is “justice.” “For the longest time, we took the Lawyer’s Oath without mentioning the concept of justice as well as access to justice,” noted the Senior Associate Justice.
The Code was also updated to address technological advances that have developed from the time it first took effect 34 years ago and which have since been significantly affecting legal practice. Thus, the CPRA now includes guidelines on lawyers’ responsible use of social media, including on giving of legal advice in different online platforms and on sharing unverified information and news.
The Proposed Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability may be viewed and accessed at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/29676/.
Suggestions and input gathered during the Caravan from the different chapters of the IBP, members of the academe, lawyers, judges, students, related government entities and organizations, and the public will be submitted to the Supreme Court En Banc for its consideration.
The Caravan kicked off on September 14, 2022 at the University of San Carlos, Cebu for Regions VI, VII, VIII, and the province of Palawan then proceeded to Davao City on October 24, 2022 for Regions IX, X, XI, XII, CARAGA, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; to Naga City on November 10, 2022 for Regions IV-B, and V; and to Baguio City on January 11, 2023 for Regions I, II, CAR.
The Caravan was organized by the Supreme Court in 2022, through its Sub-Committee for the Revision of the Code of Professional Responsibility with the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-Australia, The Asia Foundation, The European Union, Justice Sector Reform Program: Governance in Justice (GOJUST), the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), and the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS), as the Court undertakes to update the Code through a series of discussions with various stakeholders to incorporate the underlying ethical considerations of a technology-driven Judiciary and legal profession in line with the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, which was approved by the Court last June 28, 2022 under A.M. No 22-04-26-SC.
The Sub-Committee for the Revision of the Code of Professional Responsibility, which was reorganized on July 1, 2022 under Memorandum Order No. 99-2022, is led by Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier as Chairperson and Justices Samuel H. Gaerlan and Maria Filomena D. Singh as Vice Chairpersons. The Sub-Committee comprises Justices from the Court of Appeals and Sandiganbayan, the Legal Education Board, lower court judges, IBP representatives, PALS, the Philippine Bar Association, the academe, and the Office of the Chief Justice.
Interested participants for the NCR-leg of the Ethics Caravan may pre-register at https://sites.google.com/view/cpracaravan/home.