EXPANDING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION TO PROMOTE KNOWLEDGE-SHARING AND REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

WHEREAS, under the framework of the Philippines’ Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR), the Supreme Court of the Philippines intends to establish and coordinate an ASEAN-wide network of magistrates and legal practitioners to promote regional cooperation and knowledge-sharing. The Philippines has led the way in crafting a broad vision of judicial reform through the APJR, which is a wide-ranging, yet comprehensive set of reform projects and activities aimed at enhancing judicial conditions and performance, and improving delivery of judicial services.

WHEREAS, in 2003, the Indonesian Supreme Court unveiled a consultatively-prepared blueprint for legal and judicial reform. Vietnam is also making progress on legal and judicial reforms. Likewise, there have been informal consultations among ASEAN Supreme Courts under the aegis of the ASEAN Law Association. Other ASEAN judiciaries have been taking steps to achieve judicial reforms. In light of these judicial reform developments, there is a need to establish a network to facilitate knowledge-sharing and knowledge management mechanisms among the ASEAN judiciaries and legal practitioners. The Philippine APJR, being more advanced in implementation, is ideally placed to anchor and provide the momentum for this ASEAN-wide effort.

WHEREAS, the Committee on Public Information and the Program Management Office (PMO) have been making consultations with various sectors and international development institutions in relation to the establishment of the network.

NOW, THEREFORE, to ensure the successful implementation of these initiatives, the functions of the Committee on Public Information are hereby expanded to include the task of implementing the foregoing initiatives and purposes on Knowledge-Sharing and Regional/International Cooperation.

In this regard, the Committee shall coordinate with, and seek the support of, the PMO, the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the Philippine Chapter of the ASEAN Law Association (ALA), the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS). The heads of the said offices or associations shall automatically become ad hoc members of the Committee on Public Information.

For attendance at meetings of the Committee, the ad hoc members shall be entitled to the expense allowance prescribed in Administrative Circular No. 13-99 dated 30 September 1999.

This Circular shall take effect upon its issuance. Issued this 17th day of January 2005.