The Efficient Use of Paper Rule (A.M. No.

11-9-4-SC
!e"al Proce#ure!ea$e a repl%
Reco"ni&in" that the 'u#iciar% uses e(cessi$e )uantities of costl% paper (for the purpose of
sa$in" trees* conser$in" precious +ater an# helpin" ,other earth* the Supre,e Court issue#
the Efficient Use of Paper Rule (A.M. No. 11-9-4-SC- see full te(t. This Rule* +hich too. effect
on 1 /anuar% 0112* prescri3es the for,at of plea#in"s* ,otions an# #ocu,ents file# in courts.
4or,at an# St%le
a All plea#in"s* ,otions an# si,ilar papers inten#e# for the court an# )uasi-'u#icial 3o#%5s
consi#eration an# action (court-3oun# papers shall +ritten in sin"le space +ith one-an#-a 6half
space 3et+een para"raphs* usin" an easil% rea#a3le font st%le of the part%5s choice* of 14-si&e
font* an# on a 12 6inch 3% 7.8- inch +hite 3on# paper- an#
3 All #ecisions* resolutions an# or#ers issue# 3% courts an# )uasi-'u#icial 3o#ies un#er the
a#,inistrati$e super$ision of the Supre,e Court shall co,pl% +ith these re)uire,ents. Si,ilarl%
co$ere# are the reports su3,itte# to the courts an# transcripts of steno"raphic notes.
Mar"ins an# Prints
The parties shall ,aintain the follo+in" ,ar"ins on all court-3oun# papers9 a left han# ,ar"in of
1.8 inches fro, the e#"e- an upper ,ar"in of 1.0 inches fro, the e#"e- a ri"ht han# ,ar"in of
1.1 inch fro, the e#"e- an# a lo+er ,ar"in of 1.1 inch fro, the e#"e.
E$er% pa"e ,ust 3e consecuti$el% nu,3ere#.
Copies to 3e file#
Unless other+ise #irecte# 3% the court* the nu,3er of court- 3oun# papers that a part% is
re)uire# or #esires to file shall 3e as follo+s9
a. :n the Supre,e Court* one ori"inal (properl% ,ar.e# an# four copies* unless the case is
referre# to the Court En ;anc* in +hich e$ent* the parties shall file ten a##itional copies. 4or the
En ;anc* the parties nee# to su3,it onl% t+o sets of anne(es* one attache# to the ori"inal an#
an e(tra cop%. 4or the <i$ision* the parties nee# to su3,it also t+o sets of anne(es* one
attache# to the ori"inal an# an e(tra cop%. All ,e,3ers of the Court shall share the e(tra copies
of anne(es in the interest of econo,% of paper.
Parties to cases 3efore the Supre,e Court are further re)uire#* on $oluntar% 3asis for the first
si( ,onths follo+in" the effecti$it% of this Rule an# co,pulsoril% after+ar#s unless the perio# is
e(ten#e#* to su3,it* si,ultaneousl% +ith their court-3oun# papers* soft copies of the sa,e an#
their anne(es (the latter in P<4 for,at either 3% e,ail to the Court5s e-,ail a##ress or 3%
co,pact #isc (C<. This re)uire,ent is in preparation for the e$entual esta3lish,ent of an e-
filin" paperless s%ste, in the 'u#iciar%.
3. :n the Court of Appeals an# the San#i"an3a%an* one ori"inal (properl% ,ar.e# an# t+o
copies +ith their anne(es-
c. :n the Court of Ta( Appeals* one ori"inal (properl% ,ar.e# an# t+o copies +ith anne(es. =n
appeal to the En ;anc* one =ri"inal (properl% ,ar.e# an# ei"ht copies +ith anne(es- an#
#. :n other courts* one ori"inal (properl% ,ar.e# +ith the state# anne(es attache# to it.
Anne(es Ser$e# on A#$erse Part%
A part% re)uire# 3% the rules to ser$e a cop% of his court-3oun# on the a#$erse part% nee# not
enclose copies of those anne(es that 3ase# on the recor# of the court such part% alrea#% has in
his possession. :n the e$ent a part% re)uests a set of the anne(es actuall% file# +ith the court*
the part +ho file# the paper shall co,pl% +ith the re)uest +ithin fi$e #a%s fro, receipt.
Applica3ilit%
This Rule applies to all courts an# )uasi-'u#icial 3o#ies un#er the a#,inistrati$e super$ision of
the Supre,e Court.
The Rule* ho+e$er* is silent on the effect>s of failure to co,pl% +ith the re)uire,ents