“All of us must learn the current trends and advances in technology. We must adapt, or we will stagnate.”
This was the challenge posed by Supreme Court Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez to the members legal profession as he urged all lawyers, especially the veterans, to keep up with the technological developments worldwide.
Speaking at the oath-taking of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) – Capiz Chapter Officers for 2021-2023 at San Antonio Resort, Baybay, Roxas City last September 17, Justice Lopez underscored that everyone should embrace and adapt to modernizations especially since “we are living in a continuously evolving environment wherein technology is an integral part of our daily lives.”
Justice Lopez’s statement is a strong testament of support to the Supreme Court’s thrust of a technology-driven Judiciary, which Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo announced when he assumed the top judicial post in 2021.
He shared some of the technology-driven initiatives of the Judiciary—allowing the conduct of fully remote videoconferencing hearings; the launch of the Judiciary ePayment Solution; the accreditation of Ninja Van as the first accredited courier service of the Judiciary; and the promulgation of the 2020 Rules on Remote Notarization and the Rules on the Use of Body-Worn Cameras.
Justice Lopez also further challenged the IBP to devote their time to the country’s legal aid clinics. He stressed that the important role of legal aid was recognized by the United Nations Principles and Guidelineson Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems, adopted by the General Assembly in 2012. Such made it an obligation for Member States to put in place accessible, effective, sustainable and credible legal aid systems, with specialized services for groups, particularly children and women. “Helping the poor, the marginalized, and the disadvantage have access to justice is at the center of restoring faith, hope, and love,” Justice Lopez said. ###