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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Judicial Ethics in the Philippines: The Prohibition Against Private Practice for Judges
A Supreme Court ruling explains why judges cannot serve as private administrators or practice law, and the narrow exceptions allowed.
Maintaining Client Confidences: Understanding a Lawyer's Duty of Confidentiality in the Philippines
A clear guide to the lawyer's duty of confidentiality in the Philippines, its scope, exceptions, and practical compliance tips.
Retroactive Application of Laws: How Courts Ensure Fair Justice When Laws Change
Philippine courts apply laws prospectively, but exceptions exist. This article explains retroactivity principles through a 1999 rape case.
Missed Appeal Deadlines in the Philippines: Strict Rules, Rare Exceptions
Philippine courts strictly enforce the 15-day appeal period. Missing it can end a case, with only truly exceptional circumstances excusing delay.
Final and Executory Judgments: When Can They Be Modified?
Explore the narrow exceptions to the finality of judgments in Philippine law, explained through a Supreme Court ruling.
Airline Liability for Lost Baggage: Understanding the Limits and Exceptions
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on airline liability limits for lost baggage under the Warsaw Convention, and when willful misconduct removes those caps.
Dying Declarations: When a Victim's Last Words Become Evidence
Learn how Philippine courts treat dying declarations as exceptions to hearsay, and what makes a victim's last words admissible evidence.
Who Can Represent a Municipality in Court: The Ramos Doctrine on Unauthorized Counsel
Philippine law limits who may represent a municipality in lawsuits. Learn the rules, exceptions, and effects of unauthorized private counsel appearances.
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: When Can You Skip the Line to Court?
Learn when the exhaustion rule applies, its exceptions, and why a replevin suit failed against DENR forfeiture.
Understanding Res Judicata and Its Exceptions in Philippine Property Disputes
Learn how res judicata bars relitigation of property cases in the Philippines, plus the recognized exceptions to this procedural rule.
When Can Witness Testimony Lead to Acquittal: A Philippine Case Study
Learn how Philippine courts weigh witness credibility, hearsay exceptions, and declarations against penal interest in criminal cases.
Hearsay Exceptions: When Can a Third-Party Confession Clear Your Name?
A third-party confession can be hearsay evidence—but only admissible if the declarant is unavailable and trustworthy. Learn the rules.