The Supreme Court on Monday said 10,400 or 96.38 percent of the 10,791 registered examinees for the 2023 Bar examinations completed the first day of the exams on Sunday, Sept. 17, in 14 local testing centers nationwide.
Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, chairperson of the 2023 Bar examinations committee, declared the first day a “smashing success.”
“The Court and its 2,310-strong Bar personnel have vigilantly stood watch over our 2023 Bar Examinees and ensured the safe, peaceful, and orderly conduct of the exams. Let us all hope and pray that this would continue until the last day of the Bar,” Hernado said.
“To all of my 2023 Bar Examinees, I salute you for powering through the first Bar day. There are only two Bar Examination days left. You can do it. I look forward to warmly welcoming you to our profession before Christmas day,” he added.
During the traditional “Breakfast with the Deans” held last Sunday at the St. Maur’s Hall of San Beda Collage Alabang – the SC’s headquarters for the examinations — Hernando expressed his gratitude to all those helping in the 2023 Bar examinations.
He shared how he and the rest of “Bar Team Hernando” carefully mapped out the details of this year’s exams, which were shortened to three days the usual four Sundays.
The second day of the examinations will be held tomorrow, September 20.
Subjects covered for the day are Civil Law from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, and Labor Law and Social Legislation from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
On Sunday, September 24, the last day of the exams, Criminal Law and Remedial Law will be in the morning and Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises in the afternoon.
Hernando earlier said the release of the results will be early December, and the oath-taking and signing of the Roll of Attorneys will be done before Christmas.
“The idea, therefore, is for the Bar passers to join the legal profession in the same year they graduate from law school,” he said.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, who also spoke during the “Breakfast with the Deans” underscored the “need not just more lawyers but more lawyers with a social conscience” who will “genuinely work for social justice, putting the interest of the marginalized, vulnerable sectors and individuals first, over personal interests and parochial concerns.”
