Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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The Fresh Period Rule for Appeals in Philippine Criminal Cases
Learn how the Supreme Court applied the fresh period rule to criminal appeals, giving accused persons a full 15 days from denial of post-judgment motions.
Finality of Judgment in Illegal Dismissal Cases: Solidary Liability and Employer-Employee Relationship
Explore the Supreme Court ruling on finality of judgment, solidary liability, and employer-employee relationships in illegal dismissal cases.
Annulment of Judgment: When Can You Reopen a Closed Case in the Philippines?
Learn when Philippine courts allow annulment of judgment under Rule 47, and why delay in seeking available remedies bars the remedy.
Judicial Accountability: Court Personnel Disciplined for Delayed Execution and Misconduct
Supreme Court disciplines court personnel for delaying execution of judgment, issuing defective writs, and sheriff misconduct in administrative case.
Gross Ignorance of the Law: When Judges Overstep Final Judgments
A judge's motu proprio reversal of a final and executory order leads to dismissal for gross ignorance of the law in this administrative case.
Judge Dismissed for Gross Ignorance of Law in Reversing Final Order
Supreme Court dismisses judge who reversed a final and executory order, reaffirming the immutability of final judgments in Philippine courts.
Service of Judgment to Deceased Lawyer: Ejectment and Annulment in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court rules on validity of judgment service to deceased counsel, finality of ejectment decisions, and limits of preliminary injunction.
Compromise Agreements: When Can a Court Modify a Final Judgment
Philippine Supreme Court explains when a judgment by compromise can be modified, and why finality usually prevails.
The Perils of a Forgotten Address: Finality of Judgments and Due Notice in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court nullified an unlawful detainer judgment because substituted service of summons was defective, reminding litigants that proper notice is vital.
Conditional Settlement Agreements: Are They Binding in Philippine Labor Disputes?
The Supreme Court ruled on whether a "conditional" settlement of a labor judgment award is valid and binding, and its effect on pending appeals.
Sheriff’s Authority and Corporate Personality: Limits in Executing Judgments
A sheriff cannot levy a corporation’s property to satisfy a judgment against its stockholders. Learn the limits of execution.
Partial Summary Judgments: Why They Are Not Immediately Executable
A partial summary judgment is interlocutory, not final. It cannot be executed while the main case is pending, explains Philippine Business Bank v. Chua.
Finality of Judgments: Understanding Immutability and Exceptions in Philippine Law
The Supreme Court clarifies the doctrine of finality of judgments and its exceptions in a labor case involving illegal dismissal and retirement.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Due Process and Corporate Identity in Kukan v. Reyes
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may pierce the corporate veil, emphasizing due process and finality of judgment.
Res Judicata Explained: When a Prior Judgment Does Not Bar a Later Case
The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of res judicata, distinguishing bar by prior judgment from conclusiveness of judgment in property disputes.
When Death of the Accused Before Final Judgment Extinguishes Criminal and Civil Liability
Philippine Supreme Court explains how an accused's death before final judgment extinguishes criminal liability and civil liability ex delicto under the Revised Penal Code.
Final Judgment Rule: When Court Decisions in Property Disputes Become Immutable
The final judgment rule makes court decisions in property disputes final and executory. Learn the exceptions and practical implications.
Preliminary Injunctions in Ejectment Cases: When Immediate Execution Yields to Equity
The Supreme Court clarifies when appellate courts may issue preliminary injunctions to stay execution of ejectment judgments despite their immediate executory nature.
Certiorari as Remedy for Questioning Acquittal Based on Grave Abuse of Discretion
The Supreme Court clarifies when certiorari may question an acquittal and why errors of judgment remain barred by double jeopardy.
Corporate Rehabilitation vs Labor Rights: Balancing Competing Interests in Dismissal Cases
How the Supreme Court balanced a company's rehabilitation stay order against an employee's final judgment for illegal dismissal.
Demand to Comply: The Key to Valid Ejectment in Lease Disputes
Learn the rules on ejectment and demand to vacate, plus when courts may stay execution of eviction judgments.
Summary Procedure Default: When Failure to Appear Warrants Judgment on the Complaint
Explains Lazaro v. Brewmaster International on when a court may render judgment based on the complaint's allegations under the Revised Rule on Summary Procedure.
Summary Judgment and Pleadings: What Lazaro v. Brewmaster Teaches About Cause of Action
Understand how the Supreme Court in Lazaro v. Brewmaster clarified summary judgment, pleadings, and cause of action under Philippine procedure.
When Final Judgments Clash: Upholding the Anti-Graft Law and Defining Usurpation of Judicial Functions in the
A provincial adjudicator ignored a final Court of Appeals ruling, leading to a landmark conviction under the Anti-Graft Law and a clarifying ruling on usurpation of judicial functions.