The Supreme Court (SC) has moved the schedule of the online and regionalized Shari’ah Bar examinations from February 25 and 28 to April 28 and May 2 in two testing centers this year.
In a Bar Bulletin, the SC said it decided to re-schedule the examinations “in anticipation of the holy month of Ramadan between March 9 to April 8, and to allow the prospective examinees additional time to review and to prepare the application requirements . . .”
This year’s examinations will be conducted at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, and at the Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City.
Subjects covered in the two-day examinations are jurisprudence (Figh) and customary laws (Adat); persons, family relations and property; succession, wills or adjudication and settlement of estates as well as procedure in the Shari’ah Courts.
The online application form should be filed starting today, Jan. 29, until March 18, the SC said.
SC Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh is the chairperson of the 2024 Shari’ah Bar examinations committee.
“The 2024 Shari’ah Bar Application Fee is P12,800. The application fee was adjusted to partially cover the increased costs of software licensing, venue rentals for local testing centers, and security and safety measures, among others, due to inflation. The rest of the expenses will be shouldered by the Supreme Court,” the Bar Bulletin No. 3 said.
“Each applicant shall pay this amount individually and exclusively through the online payment facilities made available in BARISTA,” it added.
“Further, pursuant to Bar Matter No. 4440 (In Re: 18th Shari’ah Bar Examinations), the Court resolved to: (1) retain the previous Shari’ah Bar Application Fee of P2,000 for indigent applicants, whose net income does not exceed P24,000 a month; and (2) allow an installment scheme in four equal payments of P3,200 non-indigent applicants who demonstrate other meritorious reasons warranting leniency in the payment of the increased bar fees,” the SC said.
Under the installment scheme, the first payment of P3,200 must be made upon application, while the succeeding payments of P3,200 each must be
made before the end of February, March, and April of 2024.