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The Philippine Justice System

Satisfactory Essays

The Philippine Justice System is known to be one of the “slowest” if not the slowest in

the world. Yes, it is embarrassing. But before we dig deeper into that context, let us have a look

at the background of the Philippine Justice System first.

During the Spanish Regime, there was this so-called “Royal Audencia”. It consists of

the president, four oidores (justices) and a fiscal. Both administrative and judicial functions

were exercised by the audencia. In 1861, it became solely a judicial body through a royal

decree. The Malolos Constitution was ratified in 1899. It then established the Supreme Court

of Justice. However, due to the Philippines-American War the Supreme Court never came to

existence. During the American regime, the audencias were abolished and replaced by a

judicial system patterned after the United States’. A Supreme Court was also established where

in Cayetano Arellano was the appointed Chief Justice. On November 15, 1935, The Supreme

Court was Filipinized upon the inauguration of the Commonwealth. The composition of the

court was then lessened. During World War II, emergency powers were granted to President

Manuel L. Quezon. A Second Republic was established on October 1943 by the Philippines

Executive Commission who were organized by the Japanese. At the end of World War II, a

new Supreme Court was established on June 1945. The laws of the Second Republic were then

declared null and void. There were a few exemptions to the 1935

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