GROUP 5

De Torres, Kier Dao-Ig

Limmong, Roma Dave B.
Resonable, Trisha Mae
Ong, Melanie
Soriano, Ed Gregory B.
Wallie, Kirstin
Computer Assisted Legal Research

Statutory laws are created to promote social stability and justice. Without which the
society will be in a state of chaos as every person, without laws to follow, will do anything for
his or her own preservation and self-interest. Man-made laws hold the state together as its
conceptual framework. Committing oneself to “one body politic under one government”
(Locke, 1948) means that one agrees to an obligation to submit to the will of that body.

However, to be able to submit ourselves to the law, we must be able to know the law
and understand it. There are many instances however that the law is often misunderstood or
remain to be unknown by most citizens being governed under it.

With modernization and technological advances, people have found an innovative and
more accessible way for research and learning. This is through the use of computer and, most
specifically, the internet. Anyone can have access to reading and understanding law in the
comforts of their own computers or cellular phones by just accessing reliable online sites. Legal
research was made to be even more ‘handy’ with just a few clicks.

A. Internet and Online Services

The internet is a convenient alternative for finding legal materials such as statutes, bills,
and even local ordinances. The internet is even a place to find primary sources which may be
difficult to access in the past such as cases, foreign laws and treaties. It is also a good source for
non-legal materials that may be used to law work or interdisciplinary research. (Louis-Jacques,
1996).

In citing sources for legal research, the following The Official Gazette is the official
journal of the Republic of the Philippines. They have an online version
(www.officialgazette.gov.ph) which was created by the decree of Act No. 453 and
Commonwealth Act No. 638. This is a primary online source for all legislative acts and
resolutions, all executive orders, decisions or abstract of decisions of the Supreme Court, the
Court of Appeals and other courts that are deemed important to be published. The National
Government Portal (NGP) is the “one-stop shop of Philippine government data, information,
and services” (www.gov.ph). The Supreme Court of the Philippines also has their own site
(http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/) for information on jurisprudence, rules or issuances, resolutions,
Supreme Court e-library and additional news and information. The Court of Appeals
(https://ca2.judiciary.gov.ph/caws-war/) and Sandiganbayan (http://sb.judiciary.gov.ph/) also
have their own sites.

There are also various sites online to search the Philippine laws and cases. Chan Robles
Virtual Library (www.chanrobles.com) and The Lawphil Project of Arellano Law Foundation
(www.lawphil.net) are two of the most reliable online sites to use for legal source and research.
One may use Supreme Court Report Annotated (SCRA) or General Resolution (GR) numbers in
searching closed cases.

B. Narrowing Searches
C. Strategies for Internet Research
D. CD-ROM
i. Philippine Law Library
ii. CD Asia Titles
iii. Legal Knowledge Titles Library

Sources:

Locke, John, 1632-1704. (1948). The second treatise of civil government and A letter concerning
toleration. Oxford :B. Blackwell.

Louis-Jacques, L. (1996). Legal Research Using the Internet. Midwestern People of Color Legal
Scholarship Conference. IL: University of Chicago Law School. Retrieved on 6 May 2020
at https://www2.lib.uchicago.edu/~llou/mpoctalk.html?
fbclid=IwAR21qTEsI39GpjdLAx3Ai_6dyryDtFOhHxML7YuxzL0nxwP_xkTOx5iXRUs

Santos-Ong, M. (2020). Philippines Legal Research. Hauser Global Law School Program, New
York University School of Law. Retrieved on 6 May 2020 at
https://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Philippines1.html#_Philippine_Legal_Research