The Supreme Court on Sunday announced that the 2023 online and regionalized Bar examinations will be administered earlier in September for only three days instead of four and with only six core subjects instead of eight.
The SC through Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, chairman of the 2023 Bar examinations committee, said the exams will be held on Sept. 17, 20, and 24 in various testing centers nationwide.
“Commercials Law and Taxation Law have been conjoined to the close affinity between these two fields in legal practice, while Remedial Law and Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises were fused together as these subjects complement each other in actual practice,” Hernando said.
Because of this, the subjects for examinations on Sept. 17, 2023 will be Political and Public International Law in the morning, and Commercial and Taxation Laws in the afternoon, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
On Sept. 20, 2023, the subjects covered are Civil Law in the morning and Labor Law and Social Legislation in the afternoon. On Sept. 24, 2023, Criminal Law and Remedial Law will be in the morning and Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises in the afternoon.
The schedule of the 2023 Bar exams and the modifications were announced by Justice Hernando in his message during the third day of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Northern Luzon Regional Convention last Dec. 3 in Cauayan City in Isabela.
Hernando said the early release of the Bar exams results would be complementary to an early conduct of the examinations.
“We will therefore have aspirants to the profession earning their J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree, taking the Bar exams, taking the oath and signing the roll of attorneys all in the same year,” he said.
The SC’s Public Information Office said Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo also attended the IBP’s convention in Cauayan City.
Gesmundo said the SC has decided to conduct all Bar exams online “in line with the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations’ 2022-2027 (SPJI) drive towards running all of the judiciary’s adjudicative and administrative systems digitally.”
“The high cost of litigation and lack of publicly-accessible information on the courts, judicial processes, and legal aid have hindered access to the courts by many,” he said.
“Thus, under our SPJI, we will enhance public access to information through the development and deployment of intelligent platforms for self-help services, public assistance, and public access to court-related information and services,” he said.
Gesmundo vowed that the judiciary will strengthen its legal aid initiatives by revitalizing the IBP’s legal aid program and reinforcing the Clinical Legal Education Program under Revised Rule 138-A, or the Law Student Practice Rule, of the Rules of Court.
“Towards this end, we launched, just five days ago, the National Summit on Legal Aid and just two days ago, the National Summit on Legal Education,” he said.
“Truly, we recognize that the Court has a duty to evolve with the times, and to adopt technological advancements that will improve its service to the public and the fulfillment of its constitutional duties.”
“While we are proud of the work we have done so far and the reforms we have already implemented and continue to implement, we know very well that it would still be a long and challenging journey ahead,” he added.
SC Senior Associate Justice Marvic and Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez also attended the IBP convention.
While in Cagayan, the SC-PIO said that Gesmundo and Hernando, together with Court of Appeals Associate Justice Raymond Reynold R. Lauigan, Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva, Assistant Court Administrator Maria Regina Adoracion Filomena M. Ignacio, and Assistant Court Administrator and PIO Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka met the judges and personnel of the Tuguegarao City Hall of Justice.
Gesmundo took time to talk with litigants who were waiting for their respective hearings and listened to their concerns and feedback about the courts.
