ATENEO STUDENT JUDICIAL COURT

MVP 221, Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Schools

Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City

Code of Internal Procedures

Pursuant to Article XIII, Section 9 of the Constitution of the Undergraduate Students of the
Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools, the Student Judicial Court hereby adopts the following
Code of Internal Procedures:
[17 May 2014]
1

Title
This shall be known as the Code of Internal Procedures of the Student Judicial Court.

Interpretation and Terminologies

Within this Code of Internal Procedures, unless contrary intention appears,
(a) Undergraduate Constitution means the Constitution of the Undergraduate
Students of the Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools, as currently in operation;
(b) Loyola Schools, means the Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools;
(c) Sanggunian means the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng mga Paaralang
Loyola ng Pamantasang Ateneo de Manila as provided for by the
Undergraduate Constitution;
(d) court means the Student Judicial Court as provided for by the
Undergraduate Constitution;
(e) code means this Code of Internal Procedures itself;
(f) Rules of Court means the Rules of Court of the Student Judicial Court;
(g) calendar days mean any day of the week, regardless of holidays or school
suspensions;
(h) regular school days mean days where there are classes, as provided in the
academic calendar of the Loyola Schools, that have not been subsequently
suspended by either the government or the Loyola Schools administration;
(i) majority vote means a fty percent plus one (50%+1) vote;
(j) magistrates mean all of the magistrates, including the Chief Magistrate;
(k) court ocers mean all of the non-magistrate members of the court;
(l) words importing the masculine gender also include the feminine and words
importing the feminine also include the masculine;
(m) words in the singular also include the plural and words in the plural also
include the singular.

STUDENT JUDICIAL COURT

CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES

TITLE I

GENERAL POLICIES AND PRINCIPLES

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Purpose
This code, along with the Rules of Court, shall serve as the binding authority on the
procedure to be observed on the management of the courts internal aairs.

Coverage
This code covers without exception all magistrates and court ocers.

Magisterial Actions
Unless otherwise provided for in this code, provisions that require the action of the
magistrates, whether or not including the Chief Magistrate, assumes that their
collective action is required and that they will act on the basis of a majority vote.

6
(1)

(2)

Delegation of Powers
Unless otherwise provided for in this code, provisions that require the action of the
Chief Magistrate shall automatically be delegated to the remaining magistrates if the
Chief Magistrate is incapable of acting.
The incapability to act of the Chief Magistrate in subsection (1) refers to occasions
where the Chief Magistrate
(a) is himself the subject of the action required;
(b) is unable to act due to academic or Sanggunian-related activities, health
reasons, or family obligations.

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(1)

(2)

8
(1)
(2)

Court Directives
The magistrates reserve the right to issue directives that prescribe additional rules
and regulations on the administrative functions of the court. Such directives shall
have the same force and eect as this code insofar as it is not inconsistent with it.
Directives shall remain in eect so long as this code is in eect unless otherwise the
directive provides otherwise, or the magistrates repeal it, or another directive
supersedes it.
Court Emblem
The magistrates shall adopt an emblem for the court and direct its authorized use.
Aside for other purposes expressly allowed by the magistrates, the courts emblem
may only be imprinted on
(a) decisions issued by the court;
(b) ocial documents issued by the court;
(c) ocial documents for internal use within the court.

Suspension of the Code

This code, in whole or in part, may be suspended by the magistrates in cases of
urgency for a period not exceeding one semester.

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CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES

TITLE II

DEPARTMENTAL STRUCTURE
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Departments
All non-magistrate members of the court shall be organized into
(a) the Internal Aairs Department to be headed by the Clerk of Court and
composed of administrative ocers;
(b) the Human Resources Department to be headed by the Head of Human
Resources and composed of human resources ocers;
(c) the Public Information Oce to be headed by the Spokesperson and composed
of public information ocers.

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Internal Affairs Department

The duties and functions of the Internal Aairs Department include
(a) the handling of administrative functions during court hearings and case
conferences;
(b) the management and organization of all documents that are issued and
received by the court and the management of court assets;
(c) any other duties and functions the magistrates or this code may direct.

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Human Resources Department

The duties and functions of the Internal Aairs Department include
(a) the formulation and implementation of procedures, standards, and projects for
member recruitment and training;
(b) the formulation and implementation of a system for project management and
evaluation;
(c) any other duties and functions the magistrates or this code may direct.

13

Public Information Office

The duties and functions of the Public Information Oce include
(a) the dissemination of court decisions, and other publicly available court
documents to the student body;
(b) the creation and maintenance of avenues of communication of the court to the
student body;
(c) any other duties and functions the magistrates or this code may direct.

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CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES

TITLE III

COURT MEMBERSHIP
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Admittance to the Court

(1) The Human Resources Department shall implement procedures, standards, and
projects for member recruitment, subject to the review and approval of the
magistrates.
(2)

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(1)
(2)

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(1)

The admi)ance or removal of court ocers shall always be ultimately decided by the
magistrates.
Appointments
Department heads are appointed and relieved by the magistrates.
Department ocers are appointed and relieved by their respective department heads
subject to the conrmation of the magistrates.
Leave of Absence
Magistrates and court ocers may apply for a leave of absence lasting for a
minimum of fourteen (14) and a maximum of thirty (30) calendar days per semester.

(2)

Applications for a leave of absence must be in writing to the Chief Magistrate who
shall render a decision no later than two (2) calendar days.

(3)

Only the following cases shall be considered in the approval of an application for a
leave of absence
(a) the urgent health condition of the applicant;
(b) the declining academic standing of the applicant, or the recommendation of a
Loyola Schools faculty or sta for the relief of extracurricular activities;
(c) the death or urgent health condition of an applicants immediate family.

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(1)

Resignation
Magistrates and court ocers may tender resignation which must be eective no
earlier than fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the intended date of resignation.

(2)

The tendering of resignation must be in writing to the Chief Magistrate who will
decide on its approval.

(3)

The approval of resignations shall be decided upon whether an orderly transition of

duties and functions of the resigning magistrate or court ocer has been arranged
for by the same.

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CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES

TITLE IV

MEETINGS AND ATTENDANCE

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General Assembly
A general assembly of all the magistrates and court ocers shall be conducted no
later than thirty (30) regular school days after the start of the academic school year.

19

Meetings
(1) Meetings that require the a.endance of magistrates and court ocers must be
approved by the Chief Magistrate and be announced no later than two (2) calendar
days prior to the meeting.
(2)

20

Emergency meetings may be held whenever deemed necessary by the Chief

Magistrate who shall similarly prescribe the required a.endees. Emergency meetings
must be announced no later than three (3) hours prior to the meeting.

Attendance
(1) For meetings that require the a0endance of magistrates and court ocers, the Clerk
of Court or any magistrate or court ocer designated by the Chief Magistrate shall
record the a*endance.
(2)

For emergency meetings, any magistrate or ocer designated by the Chief

Magistrate shall record the a/endance.

(3)

In taking a)endance, the a)endance taker may either do a roll call or take note of
those who are present, as necessary, where
(a) anyone who arrives ten (10) minutes after the commencement of the meeting is
considered late and shall incur a half-absence;
(b) anyone who arrives after half of the total length of the meeting has elapsed is
considered absent;
(c) anyone who leaves before half of the total length of the meeting has elapsed is
considered absent.

(4)

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(1)

(2)

The a&endance taker shall certify the a&endance record and forward it to the Human
Resources Department for recording. The Human Resources Department shall keep
an a$endance record of all the magistrates and court ocers.
Applications for Excusal
The Human Resources Department shall prescribe and receive forms to be
accomplished by those who wish to apply to have their absence, tardiness, or early
departure excused. Only absences, tardiness, and early departures due to required
academic or Sanggunian-related activities, family obligations, or health reasons shall
be excused.
Unless otherwise applied for, all absences, tardiness, and early departures are
considered unexcused and shall be recorded against magistrates and ocers. All
applications for excuse must be submi+ed to the Human Resources Department no
later than three (3) regular school days after the absence, tardiness or early departure
from a meeting.

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CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES

TITLE V

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION

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General Docket
The Clerk of Court shall keep and maintain a general docket wherein all petitions
and motions led before the court shall be kept and recorded. Entries shall be
numbered according to the case under which they were led and the chronological
order wherein they were received.

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Judgment Book
The Clerk of Court shall keep and maintain a judgment book containing each
judgment rendered by the court organized and numbered according to the case and
chronological order under which they were issued.

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Minutes of Meetings
(1) Whenever the minutes of any meeting or proceeding is taken, it should contain
(a) the date and venue of the meeting;
(b) the start time, end time, and total duration of the meeting;
(c) the required a+endees;
(d) the a!endance record of the meeting as specied in section 20(4);
(e) those who are allowed to have access to the minutes;
(2)

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(1)

(2)

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The copies of minutes that are accessible to all members of the court shall be kept
and maintained by the Internal Aairs Department.
Document Confidentiality
All court documents, whether in hardcopy or electronically stored, are by default
condential and accessible only to the magistrates and court ocers unless
specications to the contrary are provided for by the magistrates.
The violation of document condentiality is an oense subject to investigation for
disbarment.

Correspondence
(1) The Clerk of Court shall keep and maintain a record of all correspondence received
by the court to be lled out if the intended recipient is unavailable to personally
receive a document. The record must contain
(a) the name of the sender;
(b) the name of the intended recipient;
(c) the type of document received;
(d) the date and time of receipt;
(e) the signature of the sender.
(2)

The intended recipient of the document shall sign on the record upon receipt of the
document.

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CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES

TITLE VI

COURT FACILITIES AND ASSET MANAGEMENT

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Room Use and Decorum

(1) All oenses and prohibited acts stipulated in the student handbook of the Loyola
Schools are likewise prohibited in the court room.
(2)

The court room should be kept clean and orderly at all times. Absolutely no li6ering
is allowed; all trash should be disposed o at the designated garbage bins.

(3)

The storage of materials by those who are not ocially designated to use the court
room may be allowed at the sole discretion of the magistrates depending on the
space occupied and the length of storage of the materials in the court room.

Borrowing of Court Furniture and Equipment

(1) No furniture and equipment belonging to the court room may be taken out of the
court room without prior permission from the magistrates, which shall be certied
by the Chief Magistrate signing the form stipulated in subsection (2).
(2)

The Clerk of Court shall prescribe and receive forms to be accomplished in duplicate
by those who wish to borrow court furniture or equipment. The original copy shall
be kept by the Clerk of Court and the duplicate shall be kept by the borrower. The
form must contain
(a) the name of the borrower;
(b) the detailed description of the furniture or equipment being borrowed;
(c) the date and time of borrowing;
(d) the expected date and time of return;
(e) the signature of the borrower;
(f) the signature of the Chief Magistrate.

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CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES

TITLE VII

COURT FINANCES
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General Ledger
(1) The Finance Ocer shall keep and maintain a general ledger containing all the
nancial transactions of the court, including direct purchases and reimbursements.
(2)

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Records of expenses must always be accompanied with the original copies ocial
receipts, as applicable.

Reimbursements
(1) The Finance Ocer shall prescribe and receive forms for reimbursements which
must contain
(a) the date of request;
(b) the name of the person requesting reimbursement;
(c) the descriptions of the items purchased and the corresponding amounts being
applied for reimbursement;
(d) the dates and numbers of the ocial receipts for the items purchased;
(e) the signature of the applicant for reimbursement.
(2)

All applications for reimbursement must be accompanied with the original copies of
the ocial receipts, to be similarly signed by the applicant for reimbursement, which
must be kept by the Finance Ocer.

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CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES

TITLE VIII

OFFENSES AND SANCTIONS

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Absences
Court ocers who incur more than a cumulative of four (4) unexcused absences
within a semester shall be subject to investigation for disbarment.

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Misrepresentation of the Court

Court ocers who misrepresent the court or use the courts name or logo beyond
what is prescribed in this code or what is approved by the magistrates shall be
subject to investigation for disbarment.

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General Sanctions
Magistrates and court ocers who fail to comply with the provisions of this code or
any other rules and regulations of the court shall be subject to the following
sanctions, unless otherwise this code provides for a dierent sanction,
(a) for the rst oense, a reprimand from the Chief Magistrate;
(b) for the second oense, a public reprimand from the Chief Magistrate and a
probation, to be similarly prescribed by the Chief Magistrate;
(c) for the third oense, an investigation for disbarment shall be initiated.

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Disbarment of Court Officers

(1) Subject to the provisions of this code, the magistrates may carry out investigations
for the disbarment of any court ocer no earlier than three (3) regular school days
after the receipt of the court ocer of a notice of investigation for disbarment. The
notice of investigation for disbarment must include the reason for investigation
which includes, but are not limited to, the specic oenses or violations of the courts
rules and policies that were allegedly commi4ed by the court ocer.
(2)

A court ocer currently being investigated for disbarment shall cease from
performing any powers or functions aorded to him as a court ocer.

(3)

A court ocer being investigated for disbarment has the right

(a) to know the full extent of his alleged oenses or violations;
(b) to know and defend himself against any accuser, if any;
(c) to defend himself or be defended by his chosen counsel, either verbally in the
presence of the magistrates or in writing through a sworn adavit.

(4)

Hearings for disbarment are private and may only be conducted in the presence of
the magistrates, the court ocer being investigated, and any one (1) counsel chosen
by the court ocer.

(5)

Only current undergraduate students of the Loyola Schools may act as counsels to
court ocers being investigated for disbarment.

(6)

The minutes of proceedings for disbarment shall be taken and be kept condential,
as prescribed by the magistrates.

(7)

The magistrates must render a decision on the disbarment of court ocers no later
than fourteen (14) regular school days after the commencement of the investigation.

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CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES

TITLE IX

AMENDMENTS AND TRANSITION

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Amendments
(1) Amendments to this code may be proposed by any magistrate or court ocer.
(2)

Any amendment requires a vote of at least two-thirds of the magistrates after a two-
week reading period.

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Separability Clause
If the Undergraduate Constitution from the time this code is adopted is amended or
a new constitution is adopted, this code shall continue to remain in full force and
eect insofar as it is not inconsistent with the new constitution.

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Effectivity
This code shall take eect immediately upon promulgation by the magistrates.

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CODE OF INTERNAL PROCEDURES