JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES

 JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES

 Judicial Branch in the Philippines
 Supreme Court of the Philippines
 Problems with the Philippine Justice System
 Corruption and Philippine Judges
 Supreme Court Justice’s Effort to Reform the Philippine Legal System
 Life of Reformist Philippines Supreme Court Justice
 Death Penalty in the Philippines
 Philippines Stops Death Penalty in 2006
 History of the Death Penalty in the Philippines
 Aquino Rejects Bid to Revive Death Penalty
 Rape and Rape Laws in the Philippines
 Incest: A Death Penalty Crime in the Philippines

JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES

The justice system in the Philippines is mixed legal system of civil, common,
Islamic, and customary law. The formal system of trials, appeals, and prisons is
similar to that of the United States. Civil code procedures on family and property
and the absence of jury trial were attributable to Spanish influences, but most
important statutes governing trade and commerce, labor relations, taxation,
banking and currency, and governmental operations were of United States
derivation, introduced at the beginning of the twentieth century. Most of the
laws, official notices and court decisions, including those by the Supreme Court,
are in English. Even the Constitution is published more often in English than
Tagalog. The bar exams are in English.

The basis of the legal code is primarily Spanish and Anglo-American law. Islamic
law applies among Muslims in portions of the southern Philippines. According to
the constitution, those accused of crimes have the right to be informed of the
charges against them, to be represented by counsel, and to have a speedy and
fair public trial. Defendants also enjoy the presumption of innocence and have
the right to confront witnesses, present evidence, and appeal convictions.
However, the judiciary is said to suffer from corruption and inefficiency, which at
times undermine the provision of due process and equal justice. As a result, the
Supreme Court has undertaken a five-year program to speed up the judicial
process and crack down on corruption. [Source: Library of Congress, 2006]
Judicial institutions in the Philippines are regarded as weak and corrupt and
notoriously slow. Skilled lawyers can get their clients off of most charges by
bogging down the system with a flood of documents, motions and counter
motions and then files for dismissal because their client has been denied the
right to a speedy trial. Philippine law calls for compassion for people over 70.

For poor people the justice system operates quite differently than it does for the
wealthy and elite. They are most often represente