Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo will lead the launching at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 24, in Zamboanga City of the country’s 10th Justice Zone (JZ), a place of dialogue for swift and fair administration of the criminal justice system.
A JZ is where judges, prosecutors, law enforces and representatives of local government units (LGUs) meet on common interests, coordination, and information sharing.
The other JZs are in Quezon City, Cebu City, Davao City, Angeles City, Bacolod City, Naga City, Calamba City, Balanga City, and Baguio City.
They are projects of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) which is composed of the Supreme Court (SC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
They serve as venues “where key programs relating to the delivery of justice are in place to maximize coordination among the different agency actors to address the perennial issue of delay and the greater problem of accountability,” Chief Justice Gesmundo had earlier said.
The launching will be held at the Marcian Convention Center at the Marcian Garden Hotel.
The SC, DOJ and DILG have been conducting dialogue series will the help of JSCC to hear directly from the frontliners of the justice sector the activities that are happening on the ground, as well as their accomplishments and the issues they are facing.
The JSCC then will formulate and adopt policies and programs that will be more focused and responsive in the speedy and fair administration of the country’s criminal justice system.
It was not known immediately if Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla and Local Government Secretary Benjamin "Benhur" C. Abalos, Jr., will be present during the launch.
Several SC justices and court officials from Manila are expected to attend.