Judicial System The Supreme Court has both original and appellate jurisdiction.
It
Judicial power rests with the Supreme Court and the lower
courts, as established by law (Art. VIII, sec. 1 of the 1987
Constitution). Its duty is to settle actual controversies involving rights
which are legally demandable and enforceable (Art. VIII Sec. 1 (2)).
The judiciary enjoys fiscal autonomy. Its appropriation may not
be reduced by the Legislature below the appropriated amount the
previous year (Art. VIII, Sec. 3).
According to the 1987 Constitution, Article VIII, Section 5, the
Supreme Court exercises the following powers:
1. Exercise jurisdiction over cases affecting ambassadors, other
public ministers and consuls, and over petitions for certiorari,
prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas corpus.
2. Review, revise, reverse, modify, or affirm, on appeal or
certiorari, as the law or the Rules of Court may provide, final
judgments and orders of the lower courts in:
a. All cases in which the constitutionality or validity of any
treaty, international or executive agreement, law,
presidential decree, proclamation, order, instruction,
ordinance, or regulation is in question;
b. All cases involving the legality of any tax, impost,
assessment, or toll, or any penalty imposed in relation
thereto;
c. All cases in which the jurisdiction of any lower court is in
issue;
d. All criminal cases in which the penalty imposed is
reclusion perpetua or higher;
e. All cases in which only an error or question of law is
involved;
3. Assign temporarily judges of lower courts to other stations as
public interest may require. Such temporary assignments shall
not exceed six months without the consent of the judge
concerned.
4. Order a change of venue or place of trial to avoid a miscarriage
of justice.
The Supreme Court
exercises original jurisdiction (cases are directly filed with the SC in
the first instance without passing through any of the lower courts) over
cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and
over petitions for certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and
habeas corpus. (Art. VIII, §5(1)). It also has original jurisdiction over
writs of amparo, habeas data and the environmental writ of kalikasan.
It exercises appellate jurisdiction to review, revise, reverse, modify, or
affirm final judgments, and orders of the lower courts in:
a. All cases in which the constitutionality or validity of any treaty,
international or executive agreement, law, presidential decree,
proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance, or regulation is in
question.
b. All cases involving the legality of any tax, impost, assessment,
or toll, or any penalty imposed in relation thereto.
c. All cases in which the jurisdiction of any lower court is in
issue.
d. All criminal cases in which the penalty imposed is reclusion
perpetua or higher.
e. All cases in which only an error or question of law is involved.
The Supreme Court has administrative supervision over all courts
and court personnel. (Article VIII, §6) It exercises this power through
the Office of the Court Administrator.
Composition of the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court shall be composed of a Chief Justice and
fourteen Associate Justices. It may sit en banc or, in its discretion, in
divisions of three, five, or seven members. (Art. VIII, §4) Its members
shall be appointed by the President from a list of at least three
nominees prepared by the Judicial and Bar Council for every vacancy,
without need of confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.
(Art. VIII, §9) Members of the Supreme Court are required to have
proven competence, integrity, probity and independence; they must be or processes, whether or not in aid of its appellate jurisdiction;
natural-born citizens of the Philippines, at least forty years old, with at
least fifteen years of experience as a judge of a lower court or law 2. Exclusive original jurisdiction over actions for annulment of
practice in the country. (Art. VIII, §7) Justices shall hold office during judgements of Regional Trial Courts; and
good behavior until they reach the age of seventy years, or become
incapacitated to discharge the duties of office. (Art. VIII, §11) 3. Exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all final judgements,
resolutions, orders or awards of Regional Trial Courts and
Rule-Making Powers quasi-judicial agencies, instrumentalities, boards or
commission.
The Supreme Court has the exclusive power to promulgate
rules concerning the protection and enforcement of constitutional
The Court of Appeals shall also have the power to try cases and
rights, pleading, practice, and procedure in all courts, the admission to
conduct hearings, receive evidence and perform acts necessary to
the practice of law, the integrated bar, and legal assistance to the
resolve factual issues raised in cases falling within its original and
underprivileged. Any such rules shall provide a simplified and
appellate jurisdiction, including the power to grant and conduct new
inexpensive procedure for the speedy disposition of cases, shall be
trials or proceedings.
uniform for all courts of the same grade, and shall not diminish,
increase, or modify substantive rights. Rules of procedure of special
The Sandiganbayan
courts and quasi-judicial bodies shall remain effective unless
disapproved by the Supreme Court. (Art. VIII, §54(5)) Both the 1973 and 1987 Constitution contain provisions on the
present anti-graft court known as the Sandiganbayan. It has
The Court of Appeals jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases involving graft and corrupt
practices and such other offenses committed by public officers and
The Court of Appeals was established on February 1, 1936 by
employees, including those in government-owned or controlled
virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 3 and is considered as the second
corporations, in relation to their office as may be determined by law.
highest tribunal in the country. It is composed of one presiding justice
The jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan is perhaps one of the most often
and 68 associate justices, all of which are appointed by the President
amended provision from the 1973 Constitution to Republic Act (R.A.)
from a shortlist submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council. The
No. 8249. Before R.A. No. 8249, jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan
associate justices shall have precedence according to the dates (or
was determined on the basis of the penalty imposable on the offense
order, in case of similar appointment dates) of their respective
charged. Thereafter, it was amended such that regardless of the
appointments. The qualifications for the justices of the Supreme Court
penalty, so long as the offense charged was committed by a public
also apply to members of the Court of Appeals.
officer, the Sandiganbayan was vested with jurisdiction. Under R.A.
No. 8249, to determine whether the Sandiganbayan has jurisdiction, a
The Court of Appeals’ principal mandate is to exercise appellate
person must look into two (2) criteria, namely, the nature of the
jurisdiction on all cases not falling within the original and exclusive
offense and the salary grade of the public official.
jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Its decisions are final except when
appealed to the Supreme Court on questions of law. The jurisdiction of
The Court of Tax Appeals
the Court of Appeals are as follows:
The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) was created on June 16,
1. Original jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus, prohibition, 1954, through the enactment of Republic Act No. 1125 (R.A. 1125).
certiorari, habeas corpus, and quo warranto, and auxiliary writs Its jurisdiction and composition have been increased with passage of
several legislations. With the enactment of Republic Act (R.A.) No.
9282 on April 23, 2004, the CTA became an appellate Court, equal in
rank to the Court of Appeals. The composition of the Court increased
to six (6) Justices with one (1) Presiding Justice and five (5) Associate
Justices.
R.A. No. 9503 took effect on July 5, 2008, which further
enlarged the organizational structure of the CTA. The CTA is now
composed of one (1) Presiding Justice and eight (8) Associate Justices.
The CTA may sit en banc or in three (3) divisions with each division
consisting of three (3) Justices. 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.
The Second Level Courts
Regional Trial Courts are also known as Second Level Courts,
which were established among the thirteen Judicial regions in the
Philippines consisting of Regions I to XII and the National Capital
Region (NCR). There are as many Regional Trial Courts in each
region as the law mandates. RTCs were formerly called as the Court of
First Instance since the Spanish era. It was only in the Judiciary
Reorganization Act of 1980 that its name was changed from being
called the Court of First Instance to Regional Trial Court.
The First Level Courts
Each city and municipality in the Philippines has its own trial
court. These First Level Courts are more commonly referred to as
Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTC), Municipal Trial Courts in Cities
(MTCC), Municipal Trial Court (MTC), and Municipal Circuit Trial
Courts (MCTC). The MeTCs are the first level courts in the
Metropolitan Manila area. First level courts in cities outside
Metropolitan Manila are referred to as the MTCCs. The MTCs are first
level courts that cover only one municipality, whereas MCTCs cover
multiple municipalities.
The Shari'a District & Circuit Courts
The Shari’a District Courts are equivalent to the Regional Trial
Courts in rank, which were established in certain provinces in
Mindanao where the Muslim Code on Personal Laws is being
enforced. On the other hand, the Shari’a Circuit Courts are the
counterpart of the Municipal Circuit Trial Courts established in certain
municipalities in Mindanao
The judicial system in the Philippines is structured as follows:
1. Supreme Court: The highest judicial authority in the country,
responsible for interpreting the Constitution, hearing cases of
national significance, and making final decisions on legal issues. It
is composed of a Chief Justice and 14 Associate Justices.
2. Court of Appeals: The second-highest appellate court that reviews
decisions from lower courts. It has multiple divisions and is tasked
with hearing appeals from Regional Trial Courts and other lower
courts.
3. Regional Trial Courts (RTC): These are the main trial courts in
the Philippines. They have jurisdiction over cases involving
criminal offenses, civil actions, and other matters not assigned to
other courts.
4. Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts:
These handle less serious criminal offenses and civil cases in
specific geographical areas. Municipal Circuit Trial Courts have
broader jurisdiction and cover cases from multiple municipalities.
5. Sandiganbayan: A special court that handles cases involving graft
and corrupt practices committed by public officials and employees,
including their accomplices and conspirators.
6. Court of Tax Appeals: This court handles cases related to taxation
issues and disputes.

7. Shari'a Courts: These courts are responsible for adjudicating

cases involving Muslim personal laws in specific areas of the
country with significant Muslim populations.

8. Judicial Bar Council: This body is responsible for screening and

nominating candidates for judicial positions, including those in the
Supreme Court and lower courts.