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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When Court Officials Clash: Professional Conduct in the Philippine Judiciary
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge and clerk's public quarrel, and what it means for decorum in the judiciary.
Upholding Decorum: Judicial Employees' Duty to Maintain Respect and Civility in the Workplace
Court employees must maintain civility and respect at all times. Gross discourtesy warrants suspension under Civil Service rules.
Morality vs Misconduct: Defining the Boundaries of Public Service Decorum
The Supreme Court clarifies when private immorality becomes administrative misconduct, and why certiorari cannot replace a lost appeal.
Maintaining Decorum: Why Respectful Language Is Non-Negotiable for Lawyers in the Philippines
The Supreme Court's Molina v. Pacific Plans ruling clarifies how a manager's disrespectful conduct and disloyalty can justify dismissal under Philippine labor law.
Sheriff’s Duties and the Boundaries of Conduct in Foreclosure Sales
A sheriff’s fee demand before an auction can breach decorum. The Court fines a sheriff for conduct that put the judiciary in a compromising light.
Upholding Ethical Conduct Judiciary Employees AND Public Decorum
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on judicial employees' conduct, decorum, and accountability in Gonzales v. Gatcheco.
Court Employee Fined for Brawling and Insulting Clerk: Decorum in the Judiciary
A utility worker's fistfight and insulting remarks inside court premises lead to a fine, reinforcing strict decorum rules for judicial employees.
Judicial Conduct: Decorum and Public Trust in the Judiciary
A judge's rude remarks and impatience toward litigants constitute vulgar and unbecoming conduct, eroding public trust in the judiciary.
Upholding Decorum and Ethical Conduct in the Judiciary: Fines for Misconduct and Inefficiency
The Supreme Court consolidates three administrative cases, fining a judge and court personnel for misconduct, inefficiency, and violations of judicial rules.
Upholding Judicial Decorum Judges Must Treat Lawyers AND Litigants With Courtesy
Court Employee Misconduct: When Drunkenness at Work Means Simple Misconduct
A court aide who showed up drunk at the Palace of Justice was fined P5,000 for simple misconduct. Learn the rules on decorum for judiciary employees.
Judicial Accountability: Judges Must Respect Due Process and Avoid Abusive Language
A judge's intemperate language toward lawyers violates judicial decorum. The Supreme Court explains the limits of judicial discretion and accountability.
Workplace Misconduct: Striking Subordinates and Maintaining Decorum in the Judiciary
Supreme Court ruling on a supervisor who struck a subordinate, emphasizing decorum and discipline in the judiciary.
Maintaining Judicial Integrity: Upholding Ethical Conduct in the Philippine Judiciary
Court employees must uphold propriety and decorum. Leaving work during office hours and reporting drunk warrants administrative discipline.
Upholding Decorum: The Limits of a Process Server's Conduct in Serving Legal Documents
Process servers must maintain courtesy and dignity even when challenged. A Supreme Court ruling clarifies the limits of conduct in serving court documents.
Court Personnel Decorum: Lessons from Judge v. Process Server Misconduct Case
Supreme Court ruling on gross discourtesy by court personnel, setting standards for decorum and public service conduct.
Drunkenness on Duty: Defining Unruly Behavior and Disciplinary Authority in the Philippine Judiciary
Court employees must observe strict decorum. Habitual drunkenness is a less grave offense under Civil Service rules, with clear penalties.
Maintaining Decorum: Court Employee Fined for Discourtesy at Supreme Court Lobby
A court employee's shouting at a security guard leads to administrative liability. The High Court reminds all judicial personnel that professionalism and courtesy are non-negotiable.
Upholding Decorum: Supreme Court Fines Employee for Insubordinate and Abusive Language
Court employee fined P10,000 for hurling vulgar epithets at co-workers. Decorum in the judiciary explained.
Maintaining Decorum Upholding Courtesy Standards FOR Court Personnel
A look at how the Supreme Court defines abuse of rights and bad faith in administrative disputes, using Andrade v. Wingsing as a guide.
Workplace Misconduct and Decorum in the Philippine Judiciary: Baloloy v. Flores
The Supreme Court ruled that fighting court employees violate judicial decorum, fining both parties in Baloloy v. Flores.
Respect in Court: The Limits of Zealous Advocacy and Attorney Contempt
A lawyer's zeal must yield to courtroom decorum. The Supreme Court affirms direct contempt for an attorney who challenged and insulted the judge.
Judicial Ethics: Impartiality and Decorum in the Philippine Judiciary
A Supreme Court ruling reminds judges that intemperate speech and offensive attacks on fellow magistrates violate the Code of Judicial Conduct.
Philippine Supreme Court Disciplines Court Employee for Disrespectful Conduct in Workplace
The Supreme Court fined a court employee P5,000 for shouting at and humiliating a co-worker during office hours, reaffirming strict standards of decorum in the judiciary.