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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider SC asks PhilJA to develop, offer specialized program for Shari'ah court applicants

SC asks PhilJA to develop, offer specialized program for Shari'ah court applicants

Published Feb 23, 2026 02:35 pm
The Supreme Court (SC) has directed its education arm, the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA), to develop and offer a specialized pre-judicature program for applicants to Shari’ah courts in the country.
In a resolution, the SC said a separate program is necessary since the current program does not cover Shari’ah-related laws and cannot properly assess the applicants’ competence on Muslim laws and jurisprudence.
As of August 2024, there are eight Shari'ah district courts and 63 Shari'ah circuit courts in the Philippines. Republic Act No. 12018 expanded the coverage of Shari’ah courts beyond Mindanao to Filipino Muslims in Luzon and the Visayas.
Shari’ah courts are set up under Article 137 of Presidential Decree No. 1083, the Code of Muslim Personal Laws. They are part of the Philippine judiciary and exercise limited jurisdiction.
In a press briefer, the SC’s Office of the Spokesperson said that the High Court acted on the request of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority for a separate program for applicants to Shari-ah courts.
It said the program should be a mandatory preparatory course for aspiring judges to determine the applicants’ competence on Muslim laws.
The SC said that judicial applicants to Shari’ah courts are required to have at least two years of study in Shari’ah and Islamic Jurisprudence. It emphasized that the specialized program must reflect this requirement to ensure proper candidate evaluation.
It also said that PhilJA is equipped to develop the program through its Department of Shari’ah and Islamic Laws and Jurisprudence, and may coordinate with the SC’s Technical Working Group on Shari’ah in crafting the curriculum.
The specialized program will complement PhilJA’s Judicial Career Enhancement Program for the Shari’ah Courts and the Shari’ah Training Seminar in partnership with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
It added that the initiative supports the SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027 (SPJI), which includes strengthening Shari’ah-based training for judges and court personnel.
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