The Supreme Court (SC) has started enforcing its updated codes of conduct for judiciary members, and court officials and employees to enhance its commitment to ethical conduct, transparency and accountability.

Being enforced by the SC are the 2025 Code of Judicial Conduct and Accountability (CJCA) for justices and judges, and the 2025 Code of Conduct and Accountability for Court Officials and Personnel (CCACOP).

During its full court session last Jan. 21, the SC conducted a nationwide online oath taking for all justices, judges, court officials, and personnel using the newly revised oaths of office under the new codes.

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said the ceremony marked the completion of the SC’s three-pronged integrity initiative under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), which also introduced in 2023 the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) for all lawyers in the country.

Aside from the Chief Justice, present during the oath taking ceremony under the new codes were Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, SC Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Rodil V. Zalameda, Samuel H. Gaerlan, Ricardo R. Rosario, Jhosep Y. Lopez, Japar B. Dimaampao, Midas P. Marquez, Antonio T. Kho, Jr., Maria Filomena D. Singh, and Raul B. Villaueva, and En Banc Clerk of Court Atty. Marife M. Lomibao-Cuevas.

The SC’s Office of the Spokesperson said that justices of the Court of Appeals, the Court of Tax Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, trial court judges, and court officials and personnel joined the oath taking online through their official Philippine Judiciary Office 365 accounts.

The SC said the updating of the codes of conduct was driven by developments in law, technology, and socio-economic structures, particularly the growing use of social media and artificial intelligence, which increasingly affect the work of the Judiciary.

The SC said that CJCA was approved through a resolution promulgated on Nov. 11, 2025 in A.M. No. 25-04-04-SC and it applies to all incumbent justices and judges.

It also said the CJCA “provides clearer and more responsive guidance on the principles of independence, fidelity, impartiality, propriety, equality, competence, diligence, and accountability, and includes new provisions reflecting the realities of modern adjudication.”

The code is anchored on the principle of merit-based adjudication, which underscores that “judicial decisions must be grounded solely on the judge’s independent appreciation of the facts, evidence, and interpretation of the law,” it added.

The SC pointed out that under the code, members of the judiciary are mandated to reject influences arising from political, family, social, professional, or other relationships, as well as any form of inducement, pressure, or threat from any source, including fears related to possible administrative, civil, or criminal liability.

The key provisions of the code include “strengthened rules on conflict of interest, financial disclosure, and standards of propriety both in and out of court,” it said.

It also said the CJCA introduced expanded accountability measures that link ethical conduct to performance, compliance, and discipline.

Among other things, the code also includes guidelines on the responsible use of technology and social media, and reminds members of the judiciary that inappropriate social media behavior may diminish public confidence in the judicial system.

The CCACOP was approved by the SC on Oct. 28, 2025, in A.M. No. 25-06-11-SC.

The SC said that CCACOP “sets updated standards of professionalism and accountability for court workers, who must embody integrity in both their professional and personal lives as visible representatives of the Judiciary.”

It also said the code “includes stronger rules on independence, impartiality, proper conduct in and out of the court, and commitment to modest living.”

The code reminds court officials and personnel “to treat court workers and court users with professionalism, patience, dignity, and courtesy, and calls for the use of dignified, gender-fair, child-friendly, and culturally sensitive language and prohibits discrimination,” it also said.

The SC declared that the CJCA and the CCACOP apply to all pending and future cases “unless the SC determines that retroactive application would be unjust.”

SC Associate Justice Singh chaired the sub-committees that crafted the CJCA and CCACOP through extensive consultations conducted during the 2024 National Ethics Caravan held in Lipa City, Davao City, Bacolod City, General Santos City, and Manila.

SC Associate Justice Villanueva served as the vice-chairperson of the sub-committee for the review of the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel, while Court of Appeals Associate Justice Geraldine C. Fiel-Macaraig served as the vice-chairperson of the sub-committee for the review of the Code of Judicial Conduct.