SC moves Bar Exams next year

The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the 2020/2021 Bar examination from November 2021 to early next year due to the current COVID-19 situation in the country.

In its Bar Bulletin 28, S. 2021, the Office of the 2020/2021 Bar Chairperson Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said Bar takers would have to wait until January to take the country’s grueling state examinations.

Leonen stressed that instead of the four Sundays this coming November, the 2020/2021 Bar would be held on January 16, 23, 30, and February 6, 2022.

Leonen stressed that postponement of the Bar exams was decided “after considering the COVID-19 situation nationally and in all the testing sites, as well as receiving advice from various experts.”

According to him, the delay was necessary “to assure the highest level of safety for all the bar applicants and personnel.”

But Leonen emphasized that the application period would no longer be reopened.

“All preparatory activities for the Bar Examinations, including the selection of the bar applicants of their venue, downloading of the secure exam delivery program, and other activities shall continue,” he said.

Leonen advised aspiring lawyers to treat the long-wait as an opportunity to further prepare themselves for the Bar exams.

“Remember that you study not only to pass the bar examinations, but also so that you will best serve others. Study well, purposively and with passion,” he said.

Earlier, Leonen announced that applicants for the bar examinations who have yet to complete their online registration would have until September 24 to do so.

The announcement was made after the SC learned that many law graduates had not completed their registrations despite that the online applications for the bar ended last September 15.