[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 14-2016, January 19, 2016 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 14-2016, January 19, 2016 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 14-2016, January 19, 2016 ]

TO : ALL PRESIDING JUDGES AND CLERKS OF COURT OF THE FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL COURTS

SUBJECT : A.M. NO. 07-3-09-SC (RE: PROPOSED GUIDELINES IN THE DISPOSITION AND/OR DESTRUCTION OF COURT RECORDS, PAPERS AND EXHIBITS [RE: SIMPLIFIED GUIDELINES FOR DISPOSING OF RECORDS OF LONG-DECIDED CASES AND UNNEEDED DOCUMENTS AND PAPERS)

In its Resolution in A.M. No. 07-3-09-SC dated 16 December 2015, the Court en banc issued the- Guidelines in the disposition and/or destruction of court records, papers, and exhibits. Notable among other provisions are the following:

The first and second level courts shall conduct an inventory of their terminated cases and submit the same to the Supreme Court (SC), through the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), on or before 30 April 2016.

The first and second level courts shall observe the whole month of July 2016 as the official records disposal period during which the segregation of disposable or residual records and their physical extraction by the judges and court personnel shall take place. During this period, hearings shall be held as far as practicable. To focus on records disposal, the regular conduct of inventory of pending cases in July 2016 shall be dispensed with.

The first and second level courts shall observe the whole month of August 2016 as the period for retrieval of residual records by interested parties.

The first and second level courts shall observe September 2016 as the actual disposal of residual records period during which they shall forward such records to the concerned Regional Disposal Committee or Metropolitan Trial Court Disposal Committee, as the case may be, for proper disposal.

Henceforth, the annual records disposal period shall take place during the first week of January. The first and second level courts shall submit the updated inventory of their terminated cases to the SC, through the OCA, on or before November 30 of each year. Likewise, they shall post the required notices to the general public on or before November 30 of each year. They shall observe the whole month of February of each year as the period for retrieval of residual records by interested parties, and the month of March of each year as the period for the actual disposal of residual records.

The Resolution containing the Guidelines for the disposition and/or destruction of court records, papers, and exhibits is appended herein as Annex "A" and shall take effect immediately.

Accordingly, this Circular amends OCA Circular No. 142-2015 dated 9 July 2015.

For your information, guidance, and strict compliance.

19 January 2016

(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZ Court Administrator

* See A.M. NO. 07-3-09-SC attached in the Hard Copy of OCA CIRCULAR NO. 14-2016