(Eagle News) – -The Supreme Court on Friday, May 15, released the guidelines for courts in areas placed under a general community quarantine from May 16 to 31.
According to Administrative Circular No. 40-2020 signed by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, all the branches of courts in these areas shall be physically open from May 18 to 29, “but shall function only with a skeleton-staff, by rotation, to be determined by the presiding judge.”
The circular said justices, judges and court personnel with medical conditions may work from home, provided the court personnel has the approval of the justice or the judge.
The circular said these courts shall operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Monday to Friday, until May 29.
Night courts and Saturday courts are suspended until May 30.
According to the circular, all inquiries on cases and transactions, however, shall initially be coursed and acted upon through the hotline numbers, email addresses and Facebook accounts of the courts as posted on the website of the SC.
“No walk-in requests shall be entertained by any of the branches of offices of the courts in the GCQ areas,” the circular said.
The raffle of cases in all courts in general community quarantine areas shall begin on May 18, and no raffle shall be conducted through videoconferencing.
As for court hearings in GCQ areas, the circular said these are now authorized, whether in-court or through video-conferencing.
“The justices and judges shall see to it that the counsels and parties are duly notified of the in-court hearings to ensure their attendance,” the circular said.
Hygiene protocols
In all these in-court hearings, the health hygiene protocols and other public medical standards shall be strictly observed.
These include the wearing of face masks and face shields, subjecting people to a no-contact thermal scanning and social distancing.
In the videconferencing hearings, the circular said the justices or judges shall preside from the courtroom or the chamber “at all times, unless in exceptional circumstances where the justice or judge may preside from home.”
The circular said the taking of the testimony of a witness in a place other than the court through videoconferencing is “akin to the taking of a deposition upon oral examination” pursuant to Sec. 1, Rule 23, as amended, and shall therefore be allowed.
“Decisions and orders drafted before or during the instant GCQ period may be promulgated and released during this period. Service of writs and other court processes within the GCQ areas may likewise proceed,” the circular said.
