The Supreme Court (SC) marks its 122nd founding anniversary on Sunday, June 11, amidst its nationwide campaign for support to its five-year judiciary reform program aimed at making the courts more accessible, expediting court processes, and handing down real-time decisions. The reform program under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) was launched on Oct. 14, 2022. Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said the SPJI is founded on four guiding principles, namely: 1\. “The Filipino people deserve a judiciary possessed of competence\, integrity\, probity\, and independence\. 2\. “The Judiciary must provide equal access to justice real time\. 3\. “Public confidence in the Judiciary is dependent on transparency and accountability\. 4\. “Technology must be the platform on which the basic court systems and processes run\.” SC justices have been travelling around the country to seek the public’s support to SPJI. The SC was established on June 11, 1901 by the Second Philippine Commission which passed Act No. 136 which also created courts of first instance (now regional trial courts) and justices of the peace courts (now municipal and city trial courts). Since its anniversary falls on a Sunday, the SC – through Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen --decided to hold an advance celebration last Friday. Chief Justice Gesmundo is on wellness leave. In his message during the program, the SC’s public information office (PIO) said that Acting Chief Justice Leonen “underscored the importance of doing away with the usual procedures and bureaucracies and embracing technology ‘to show that justice can be done better, more efficiently.’” “We have to prepare ourselves so that we as a bureaucracy, starting from the Supreme Court leading the entire Judiciary, can show that we can adapt,” he said. The PIO said that Leonen also spoke about the SC’s reform programs under the SPJI, and cited the National Legal Aid Summit, the 1st National Shari’ah Summit, the Guidelines on the Use of Gender-Fair Language in the Judiciary and Gender-Fair Courtroom Etiquette, and the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, among others. Copy of Leonen’s speech was not made available, however. The PIO also said that Leonen also pointed out in his speech that “majority of Filipinos still suffer from ‘poverty, inequality, and disempowerment.’” It said that Leonen stressed that the problems must be replaced with “human dignity and social justice,” pursuant to the Constitution. It added that Leonen implored his fellow SC Justices, as well as court officials and employees: “Our people suffer and they have suffered for centuries. During our watch, while we are here, while we are not yet part of the legacy of the Court, we must do what we can. We should not fail them.” Theme of the 122nd anniversary celebration is “Korte Suprema: Kaagapay sa Pagtahak sa Makabuluhang Pagbabago sa Mundo ng Teknolohiya.” One of the highlights of last Friday’s advance celebration was the grouping of SC’s various offices into clusters for the giving of donations to charitable institutions. The PIO said the Cluster 1 was composed of the Office of the Chief Justice, Offices of the Associate Justices, and Public Information Office for Elsie Gaches Village, Muntinlupa City; Cluster 2: Fiscal Management and Budget Office - Asilo de San Vicente, Manila; Cluster 3: Office of the Clerk of Court En Banc, Office of the Division Clerks of Court, and Judicial Records Office - Asilo de San Vicente, Manila and UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Pediatric Ward; Cluster 4: Office of the Court Administrator and Judicial Integrity Board - Cribs Foundation, Rizal; Cluster 5: Philippine Judicial Academy, Judicial and Bar Council, Program Management Office, and Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Office - Bahay Aruga, Manila; Cluster 6: Office of the Bar Confidant, Office of the Reporter, and Office of the Chief Attorney - San Vicente de Paul Parish, Manila and UP-PGH; Cluster 7: Medical and Dental Services, Printing Services, Management Information Systems Office, and Library Services - Duyan Program (Cradling Children with HIV); and Cluster 8: Office of Administrative Services - Don Bosco Technical College-Technical Vocational Education and Training students. The PIO also said that the celebration started with a thanksgiving mass, followed by a short program which included raffle, performances, and a talent contest participated in by SC employees.