The Supreme Court (SC) has partnered with the Australian government to launch “FAIR Justice Program” as part of its continuing resolved to implement reforms in the judiciary geared toward effective administration of justice for women, children, indigenous people, people with disabilities, and other socially disadvantaged groups.
“Today we reinforce this long and fruitful strategic partnership and embark on another phase that I am certain will be even more productive and beneficial for both our peoples,” said Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo during the launch of the Fostering Advancement of Inclusive and Rights-based (FAIR) Justice Program held at the Baguio Country Club in Baguio City last Apr. 11.
FAIR Justice is the latest judicial reform initiative which is a product of a robust partnership between the Philippine Supreme Court and the Australian government.
Gesmundo described the FAIR Justice Program as a “testament to the strength of the two countries’ shared commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and strong and accountable public institutions.”
According to him, the Philippine Supreme Court has had a long history of mutual assistance and collaboration with the Australian government principally through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Trade and Industry.
The FAIR Justice program aims to complement the Philippine SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI) by improving access to justice, especially for vulnerable groups through judicial reforms and law and justice cooperation in the Philippines.
This five-year program also intends to support the Philippines in enhancing the administration of justice for women, children, indigenous people, people with disabilities, and other socially disadvantaged groups.
The FAIR Justice program is part of Australia’s AU$20 million (P727 million) flagship justice-strengthening investment in the Philippines. It builds on over a decade of law and justice cooperation between the two countries.
Gesmundo stressed that the FAIR Justice Program was designed in close consultation with the Judiciary and targets three mutually reinforcing outcomes which the Judiciary expects to see in place by the time the program ends in 2029.
First outcome is the enhanced knowledge and capacity of judges and court personnel and demonstrated improvements in the management and adjudication of cases; second is that key reforms and measures are adopted to increase effectiveness, transparency, and accountability in delivering justice; and lastly, that legal and judicial processes and services, as well as multi- stakeholder rights-based mechanisms, promote and achieve greater accessibility and inclusivity in delivering and accessing justice.
“What FAIR Justice means is that our people, most especially the disadvantaged and vulnerable, can count on effective and efficient courts, helmed by competent and ethical judges and personnel, to uphold their rights and deliver the justice they deserve,” Gesmundo said.
To do all this, FAIR Justice will lead and facilitate a wide range of activities and initiatives—including research and scoping; capacity building; twinning, secondment, and exchange; engagements with experts and technical assistance; policy dialogues and advocacy; and collaborative and strategic partnerships, he added.
Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, co-chair of the FAIR Justice Program Management Committee, said the FAIR Justice program “is the visible representation of the shared commitment of the Philippine Supreme Court and the Australian government in fortifying the law in the Asia and the Pacific Region.”
Singh stressed that the objectives of the FAIR Justice program are aligned with the SPJI.
“This is deliberate. The FAIR Justice Program was designed to support and enhance the SPJI objectives. At its very core, the FAIR Justice Program seeks to broaden access to justice, truly meaningful access, and not just pay lip service to it. With the FAIR Justice initiatives, we will endeavor to reach out to the most underserved sectors and protect the most vulnerable persons through programs that will reflect ‘fair justice’ in every aspect and iteration,” she said.
For her part, acting Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Dr. Moya Collett echoed the sentiments of Gesmundo. “As Strategic Partners, Australia and the Philippines share a commitment to the rule of law and strong and accountable institutions – these are important elements for the stability, security and prosperity of the region we live in,” she said.
“The rule of law, strong and accountable institutions, and an independent judiciary are absolutely fundamental to a functioning democracy. Without it, the most vulnerable people are completely powerless. They have no access to justice, their voices go unheard, discrimination goes unchallenged, authority goes unchallenged, and these people cannot exercise their legal rights. This is what we are passionate about. This is what FAIR Justice is all about,” Collett stressed.
Aside from the Supreme Court and the Australian government, the FAIR Justice Program is run by the Program and Partnerships Management Team.
Joining the launch were Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting, Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda, Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario, Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez, Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez, and Associate Justice Antonio Kho Jr., who co-chairs the FAIR Justice Program management committee with Justice Singh.
Also present were Australian Embassy in the Philippines First Secretary (Development) Paul Harrington, Portfolio Manager Pablo Lucero, and Senior Program Officer Ria Go Tian.