The Pillars of the Criminal Justice System
THE COURTS
Reported by Group 3 (Francisco, Frio, Fuentes, Gabiota, Galanto, Gamayao, Gayanico, Genzola,
Gonzales, Giagone, Gonzaga, Huelar, Jimeno, Jornada, Kapunan, Labanza
Courts For Muslims: The Shari’a Courts
Shari’a courts are Shari’a District Courts (SDCs)
and Shari’a Circuit Courts (SCCs) that were
created in 1977 through Presidential Decree
1083, which is also known as the Code of
Muslim Personal Laws. These courts have been
established to resolve cases involving Muslims.
Offenses under its jurisdiction:
 Illegal solemnization of marriage
 Marriage before expiration of ‘idda
(waiting period for a woman)
 Offenses relative to subsequent
marriage, divorce and revocation of
divorce
 Failure to report for registration
 Neglect of duty by registrars
Shari’a courts, which were created
specifically for the effective administration
and enforcement of the Code of Muslim
Personal Laws, are subject to the
administrative supervision of the Supreme
Court.
All actions and proceedings in the Shari’a
court shall commence by the filing of a
complaint. This complaint shall be prepared
at least in triplicate by the plaintiff (muddai)
or his/her counsel (wakil) or by the Clerk of
Court. (Sec. 1, Rules of Procedure) The
complaint shall contain the following: 1.
title of the case, case number assigned to it,
and date of filing; 2. name and address of
the plaintiff (muddai) and/ or his/her
counsel, and name and address of the
defendant (mudda’aalayh); and 3. concise
statement of the cause of action and the
relief prayed for. (Sec. 2, Rules of
Procedure)
A non-Muslim woman married by Islamic
rites to a Muslim man can file any case
covered by the Code of Muslim Personal
Laws before a Shari’a court.
You can appeal decisions of the Shari’a
Circuit Court to the Shari’a District Court.
Decisions of the Shari’a District Court can be
appealed to the Supreme Court on
questions of law or for abuse of discretion
committed by the Judge of the Shari’a
District Court.
MUNICIPAL COURT
A court that sits in some cities and larger
towns and that usually has civil and
criminal jurisdiction over cases arising
within the municipality.
1. Exclusive original jurisdiction over
all violations of city or municipal
ordinances committed within their
respective territorial jurisdiction
2. Exclusive original jurisdiction over all
offenses punishable with imprisonment
not exceeding 6 years, regardless of the
fine or other accessory penalties and civil
liability
3. Offenses involving damage to
property through criminal negligence
4. In cases where the only penalty
provided by law is a fine, it has exclusive
jurisdiction over offenses punishable by
a fine not exceeding P4000
5. In election offenses, cases involving
failure to register or failure to vote
6. Special jurisdiction to hear and
decide petitioners for a writ of habeas
corpus or application for bail in the province
or city where the RTC judge is absent
The Pillars of the Criminal Justice System
THE COURTS
Reported by Group 3 (Francisco, Frio, Fuentes, Gabiota, Galanto, Gamayao, Gayanico, Genzola,
Gonzales, Giagone, Gonzaga, Huelar, Jimeno, Jornada, Kapunan, Labanza
7. Cases involving BP 22—Bouncing
Checks Law
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
The Regional Trial Court (RTC), formerly known
as the Court of First Instance (CFI), is part of the
Philippine Court System classified as courts of
general jurisdiction. They handle and decide not
only the particular classes or kinds of cases
assigned to them by law, but also those which
are not within the jurisdiction of the courts of
the first level or the Metropolitan Trial Courts
Regional Trial Courts shall exercise exclusive
original jurisdiction in all criminal cases not
within the exclusive jurisdiction of any court,
tribunal or body, except those now falling under
the exclusive and concurrent jurisdiction of
the Sandiganbayan which shall hereafter be
exclusively taken cognizance of by the latter.
RTC Criminal Courts typically try cases of serious
crimes like murder and robbery, as opposed to
petty crimes, which reduce the burden of court
cases.
1.All criminal cases where the penalty is
higher than 6 years, including government-
related cases wherein the accused in not one
of those falling under the jurisdiction of the
Sandiganbayan is within the jurisdiction of the
RTC.
2.In areas where there are no family courts, the
cases falling under the jurisdiction of family
courts shall be adjudicated by the RTC.
3. Other laws which specifically lodge
jurisdiction in the RTC
a. Laws on written defamation or libel
b. Decree on Intellectual Property
c. Dangerous Drugs Cases except where the
offenders are below 16 years and there are
juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts in the
province.
4. Appellate jurisdiction over all
cases decided by MTCs in their respective
territorial jurisdiction
Sandiganbayan
Art. XIII of the 1973 Constitution,Sec. 5. The
BatasangPambansa shall create a special court,
to be known as Sandiganbayan, which shall
have jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases
involving graft and corrupt practices and such
other offenses committed by public officers and
employees, including those in government-
owned or controlled corporations, in relation to
their office as may be determined by law.
Art. XI of the 1987 Constitution, Sec. 4. The
present anti-graft court known as the
Sandiganbayan shall continue to function and
exercise its jurisdiction as now or hereafter may
be provided by law.
JURISDICTION OF SANDIGANBAYAN
The jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan is
perhaps one of the most often amended
provision from the 1973 Constitution to RA
8249 of 1997. Before RA 8249, jurisdiction of
the Sandiganbayan was determined on the
basis of the penalty imposable on the offense
charged. Then, it was amended such that
regardless of the penalty, so long as the offense
charged was committed by a public officer, the
Sandiganbayan was vested with jurisdiction.
Under RA 8249, to determine whether the
Sandiganbayan has jurisdiction, lawyers must
look into two (2) criteria, namely:
The Pillars of the Criminal Justice System
THE COURTS
Reported by Group 3 (Francisco, Frio, Fuentes, Gabiota, Galanto, Gamayao, Gayanico, Genzola,
Gonzales, Giagone, Gonzaga, Huelar, Jimeno, Jornada, Kapunan, Labanza
The nature of the offense and The salary grade
of the public official.
COURT OF APPEALS
The Court of Appeals of the Philippines is
the Philippines' second-highest judicial court,
just after the Supreme Court. The court consists
of 69 Associate Justices and 1 Presiding Justice.
Under the Constitution, the Court of Appeals
(CA) reviews the decisions and orders of the
Regional Trial Courts nationwide well as the
awards, judgments, final orders or resolutions
of, or authorized by 21 Quasi-Judicial Agencies
exercising quasi-judicial functions mentioned in
Rule 43 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure,
plus the National Amnesty Commission (Pres.
Proclamation No. 347 of 1994) and Office of the
Ombudsman (Fabian v. Desierto, 295 SCRA
470). Added to the formidable list are the
decisions and resolutions of the National Labor
Relations Commission (NLRC) which are now
initially reviewable by this court, instead of a
direct recourse to the Supreme Court, via
petition for certiorari under Rule 65 (St. Martin
Funeral Homes v. NLRC, 295 SCRA 414)".
Organized on February 1, 1936, the Court of
Appeals was initially composed of Justice Pedro
Concepcion as the first Presiding Judge and 10
Appellate Judges appointed by
the President with the consent of
the Commission on Appointments of the
National Assembly.
Court of Tax Appeals
It is a special court of limited jurisdiction, and
has the same level with the Court of Appeals.
The court consists of 8 Associate Justices and 1
Presiding Justice. The Court of Tax Appeals was
originally created by virtue of Republic Act. No.
1125 (R.A.1125) which was enacted on June 16,
1954 composed of three (3) Judges with
Mariano CH. Nable as the first Presiding Judge.
With the passage of Republic Act Number 9282
(R.A. 9282) on April 23, 2004, the CTA became
an appellate Court, equal in rank to the Court of
Appeals. Under Section 1 of the new law, the
Court is headed by a Presiding Justice and
assisted by five (5) Associate Justices. They shall
have the same qualifications, rank, category,
salary, emoluments and other privileges, be
subject to the same inhibitions and
disqualifications and enjoy the same retirement
and other benefits as those provided for under
existing laws for the Presiding Justice and
Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals. A
decision of a division of the CTA may be
appealed to the CTA En Banc, and the latter's
decision may further be appealed by verified
petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court.
Previously, only decision, judgment, ruling or
inaction of the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, the Commissioner of Customs,
the Secretary of Finance, the Secretary of Trade
and Industry, or the Secretary of Agriculture,
involving the National Internal Revenue Code
and the Tariff and Customs Code on civil
matters are appeallable to the Court of Tax
Appeals. The expanded jurisdiction transferred
to the CTA the jurisdiction of the Regional Trial
Courts and the Court of Appeals over matters
involving criminal violation and collection of
revenues under the National Internal Revenue
Code and Tariff and Customs Code. In addition,
it also acquired jurisdiction over cases involving
local and real property taxes which used to be
with the Regional Trial Court and the Court of
Appeals.
SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the
highest court in the Philippines. It is presided
over by a Chief Justice and is composed of
fifteen (15) Justices, including the Chief Justice.
Pursuant to the Constitution, the Supreme
Court has "administrative supervision over all
courts and the personnel thereof".
The Pillars of the Criminal Justice System
THE COURTS
Reported by Group 3 (Francisco, Frio, Fuentes, Gabiota, Galanto, Gamayao, Gayanico, Genzola,
Gonzales, Giagone, Gonzaga, Huelar, Jimeno, Jornada, Kapunan, Labanza

and enforceable, and to determine whether or

A person must meet the following not there has been a grave abuse of discretion
requirements in order to be appointed to the amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on
Supreme Court: (1) natural-born citizenship; (2) the part of any branch or instrumentality of the
at least 40 years old; and (3) must have been for government.”
fifteen years or more a judge of a lower court or
The definition reaffirms the power of the
engaged in the practice of law in the
Supreme Court to engage in judicial review, a
Philippines.[3] An additional constitutional
power that had traditionally belonged to the
requirement, though less precise in nature, is
Court even before this provision was enacted.
that a judge "must be a person of proven
Still, this new provision effectively dissuades
competence, integrity, probity, and
from the easy resort to the political
independence."[4]Upon a vacancy in the Court,
question doctrine as a means of declining to
whether for the position of Chief
review a law or state action, as was often done
Justice or Associate Justice, the President fills
by the Court during the rule
the vacancy by appointing a person from a list
of President Ferdinand Marcos.[14] As a result,
of at least 3 nominees prepared by the Judicial
the existence of “grave abuse of discretion” on
and Bar Council.[5]
the part of any branch or instrumentality of the
government is sufficient basis to nullify state
The powers of the Supreme Court are defined in action.
Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution. These
Original jurisdiction
functions may be generally divided into two –
judicial functions and administrative functions. The other mode by which a case reaches the
The administrative functions of the Court Supreme Court is through an original petition
pertain to the supervision and control over the filed directly with the Supreme Court, in cases
Philippine judiciary and its employees, as well as that the Constitution establishes "original
over members of the Philippine bar. Pursuant to jurisdiction" with the Supreme Court. Under
these functions, the Court is empowered to Section 5(1), Article VIII of the Constitution,
order a change of venue of trial in order to they are "cases affecting ambassadors, other
avoid a miscarriage of justice and to appoint all public ministers and consuls, and over petitions
officials and employees of the judiciary.[11] The for certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo
Court is further authorized to promulgate the warranto, and corpus." Resort
rules for admission to the practice of law, for to certiorari, prohibition and mandamus may be
legal assistance to the underprivileged, and the availed of only if "there is no appeal, or any
procedural rules to be observed in all courts.[12] plain, speedy, and adequate remedy in the
ordinary course of law."
The more prominent role of the Court is located
in the exercise of its judicial functions. Section 1
of Article VIII contains definition of judicial
power that had not been found in previous
constitutions. The judicial power is vested in
“one Supreme Court and in such lower courts as
may be established by law.” This judicial power
is exercised through the judiciary’s primary role
of adjudication, which includes the “duty of the
courts of justice to settle actual controversies
involving rights which are legally demandable