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.
Judicial Accountability in the Philippines: Ensuring Timely Justice and Efficient Court Management
A Supreme Court ruling on a deputy sheriff's neglect of duty underscores the exacting standards of judicial accountability in the Philippines.
Unlocking Justice: How Circumstantial Evidence Secures Convictions in Philippine Courts
Philippine courts can convict based on circumstantial evidence alone if it forms an unbroken chain proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Deadlines Matter: Why Philippine Judges Must Decide Cases Within 90 Days
The Supreme Court reminds judges of the 90-day decision deadline, explaining why delays undermine justice and what happens when courts miss the mark.
Justice Delayed IS Justice Denied Understanding Undue Delay IN Philippine Ejectment Cases
A Philippine judge was fined for undue delay in an ejectment case. Here's what the Supreme Court's ruling means for litigants.
Justice Delayed Rights Denied Understanding Judicial Delay AND Injunction Bonds IN Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies venue rules in labor cases, prioritizing worker convenience and substantial justice over technicalities.
Philippine Labor Law: Workplace Venue Not Always Mandatory for Labor Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling: NLRC venue rules are permissive, not mandatory. Worker convenience and substantial justice can override workplace location.
Missed Deadline NOT Justice Denied When Excusable Negligence Saves A Labor Appeal IN THE Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court rules on when a late labor appeal may be excused due to honest mistake, and when separation pay replaces reinstatement.
Substantial Justice vs Technicality: When Can Appeal Deadlines Be Relaxed
The Supreme Court explains when late appeals may be allowed despite rigid rules, balancing technicality against substantial justice in Trans International vs. CA.
Perfecting Appeals and Timelines in Philippine Labor Cases: The PAL v. Brillantes Guide
Learn how the Supreme Court resolved PAL v. Brillantes, balancing strict appeal timelines, labor law, and equitable justice.
Automatic Review of Death Penalty Cases Safeguards Justice Regardless of the Accused's Actions
The Supreme Court clarifies that automatic review of death penalty cases ensures justice and due process, independent of the accused's conduct or character.
The Perils of Sin Perjuicio Judgments: Ensuring Timely and Complete Justice in the Philippines
Philippine courts must independently assess prosecutorial motions to withdraw information, balancing judicial discretion with the Secretary of Justice's review powers.
Judicial Accountability: Independent Assessment of Justice Secretary's Resolutions in Philippine Courts
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on trial courts' duty to independently assess Justice Secretary's resolutions in withdrawal of criminal informations.
The Clerk’s Duty: Accurate Case Reporting and the Efficient Administration of Justice in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling on a judge and clerk fined for issuing a subpoena to a life-term prisoner without authority, underscoring diligence in court duties.
Foreign Currency Deposits: Balancing Secrecy and Justice in the Philippines
The Supreme Court ruled that foreign currency deposit secrecy cannot shield a transient alien's funds from satisfying a judgment for heinous crimes against a Filipino minor.
Protecting the Vulnerable: Rape of Persons Deprived of Reason in the Philippines
The Supreme Court affirms that rape of a mentally incapacitated person can be proven through circumstantial evidence, securing justice for voiceless victims.
Discharge of an Accomplice as a State Witness: Safeguarding Justice in Philippine Courts
The Supreme Court affirms that trial courts' factual findings and witness credibility assessments are conclusive unless arbitrary, in a murder conviction.
Judicial Accountability When Judges Delay Justice: Lessons from Navarro v. Del Rosario
When a judge refuses to decide a case for years, the Supreme Court steps in. Learn the rules on judicial delay and accountability.
Justice Delayed: The Right to Speedy Disposition of Cases in the Philippines
The Supreme Court rules that a six-year delay by the Ombudsman violates the constitutional right to speedy disposition of cases, citing Angchangco.
Juvenile Justice Understanding Mitigation AND Criminal Liability IN THE Philippines
How Philippine courts treat juvenile offenders, minority as mitigating circumstance, and criminal liability under the law.
The Credibility of Child Witnesses: Upholding Justice Beyond Tender Years
How the Supreme Court affirmed a murder conviction based on the positive identification of a ten-year-old eyewitness, and the rules on child testimony, treachery, and alibi.
Fugitive From Justice: Understanding Disqualification in Philippine Elections
The Supreme Court clarifies what "fugitive from justice" means for election disqualification under the Local Government Code.
Rape and Incest: When Family Betrayal Meets Justice in the Philippines
A Philippine Supreme Court case on a son raping his mother, explaining the rules on credibility, denial, and penalties for incestuous rape.