Code of Conduct For Court Personnel
Code of Conduct For Court Personnel
Code of Conduct For Court Personnel
03-06-13-SC
WHEREAS, the dispensation of justice is the basic duty and responsibility of the judiciary as enshrined in
the Constitution; it is a sacred task of divine origin.
WHEREAS, the Constitution declares that a public office is a public trust, and all public officers and employees
must at all time be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, loyalty and efficiency, act with
patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.
WHEREAS, court personnel, from the lowliest employee to the clerk of court or any position lower than that
of a judge or justice, are involved in the dispensation of justice, and parties seeking redress from the courts for
grievances look upon court personnel as part of the Judiciary.
WHEREAS, in performing their duties and responsibilities, court personnel serve as sentinels of justice and
any act of impropriety on their part immeasurably affects the honor and dignity of the Judiciary and the people’s
confidence in it.
WHEREAS, while there are statutory provisions and Civil Service rules governing the ethical conduct of
government officials and employees, there is a need to adopt norms of conduct that are specific to personnel in the
Judiciary because of the special nature of their duties and responsibilities
WHEREAS, at its third meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in January of 2003, the Judicial Group on Strengthening
Judicial Integrity, which had earlier approved the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, submitted for consideration
of the participating Chief Justices, including the Chief Justice of the Philippines, a Code of Conduct for Judicial
Employees.
WHEREAS, the Code of conduct for Judicial Employees was refined through various amendments, including
those introduced by the Chief Justice of the Philippines, to serve as a model Code of Conduct for judicial employees
or court personnel.
WHEREAS, the Constitution of the Philippines vests in the Supreme Court administrative supervision over
all courts and their personnel; thus, it has disciplinary authority over them and the power to promulgate a code of
conduct for them.
NOW, THEREFORE, the SUPREME COURT En Banc hereby PROMULGATES this:
SCOPE
SECTION 1. This Code of Conduct for Court Personnel shall apply to all personnel in the judiciary who
are not justices or judges. Court personnel who are no longer employed in the Judiciary but who acquired, while still
so employed, confidential information as defined in the second paragraph of Section 1 of Canon II on Confidentiality
are subject to Section 4 thereof.
CANON I
FIDELITY TO DUTY
SECTION 1. Court personnel shall not use their official position to secure unwarranted benefits, privileges
or exemptions for themselves or for others.
SECTION 2. Court personnel shall not solicit or accept any gift, favor or benefit based on any or explicit
understanding that such gift, favor or benefit shall influence their official actions.
SECTION 3. Court personnel shall not discriminate by dispensing special favors to anyone. They shall
not allow kinship, rank, position or favors from any party to influence their official acts or duties.
SECTION 4. Court personnel shall not accept any fee or remuneration beyond what they receive or are
entitled to in their official capacity.
SECTION 5. Court personnel shall use the resources, property and funds under their official custody in
a judicious manner and solely in accordance with the prescribed statutory and regulatory guidelines or procedures.
CANON II
CONFIDENTIALITY
SECTION 1. Court personnel shall not disclose to any unauthorized person any confidential information
acquired by them while employed in the judiciary, whether such information came from authorized or unauthorized
sources.
Confidential information means information not yet made a matter of public record relating to pending cases,
as well as information not yet made public concerning the work of any justice or judge relating to pending cases,
including notes, drafts, research papers, internal discussions, internal memoranda, records of internal deliberations
and similar papers.
The notes, drafts, research papers, internal discussions, internal memoranda, records of internal deliberations
and similar papers that a justice or judge uses in preparing a decision, resolution or order shall remain confidential
even after the decision, resolution or order is made public.
SECTION 2. Confidential information available to specific individuals by reason of statute, court rule or
administrative policy shall be disclosed only by persons authorized to do so.
SECTION 3. Unless expressly authorized by the designated authority, court personnel shall not disclosed
confidential information given by litigants, witnesses or attorneys to justices, judges or any other person.
SECTION 4. Former court personnel shall not disclose confidential information acquired by them during
their employment in the Judiciary when disclosed by current court personnel of the same information would constitute
a breach of confidentiality. Any disclosure in violation of this provisions shall constitute indirect contempt of court.
CANON III
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
SECTION 1. Court personnel shall avoid conflicts of interest in performing official duties. Every court
personnel is required to exercise utmost diligence in being aware of conflicts of interest, disclosing conflicts of interest
to the designated authority, and terminating them as they arise.
(a) A conflict of interest exist when:
(i) the court personnel’s objective ability or independence of
judgment in performing official duties is impaired or may
reasonably appear to be impaired; or
(ii) the court personnel, the personnel’s immediate family, or the
personnel’s business or other financial interest would derive
financial gain because of the personnel’s official act.
(b) No conflict of interest exists if any benefit accrues to the court personnel as a member of a profession,
business, or group to the same extent as any other member of such profession, business, or group
who does not hold a position in the Judiciary.
(c) The term “immediate family” shall include the following whether related by blood, marriage or
adoption: (a) spouse, (b) children, (c) brother, (d) sister, (e) parent, (f) grandparent, (g) grandchildren,
(h) father-in-law, (i) mother-in-law, (j) sister-in-law, (k) brother-in-law, (l) son-in-law, (m) daughter-in-
law, (n) stepfather, (o) stepmother, (p) stepson, (q) stepdaughter, (r) stepbrother, (s) stepsister, (f)
half-brother, (u) half-sister.
CANON IV
PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES
SECTION 1. Court personnel shall at all times perform official duties properly and with diligence. They
shall commit themselves exclusively to the business and responsibilities of their office during working hours.
SECTION 2. Court personnel shall carry out their responsibilities as public servants in as courteous a
manner as possible.
SECTION 3. Court personnel shall not alter, falsify, destroy or mutilate any record within their control.
This provision does not prohibit amendment, correction or expungement of records or documents pursuant
to a court order.
SECTION 4. In performing official duties, court personnel shall not discriminate nor, manifest, by word
or conduct, bias or prejudice based on race, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender or political affiliation.
SECTION 5. Court personnel shall not recommend private attorneys to litigants, prospective litigants,
or anyone dealing with the Judiciary.
SECTION 6. Court personnel shall expeditiously enforce rules and implement orders of the court within
the limits of their authority.
SECTION 7. Court personnel shall not be required to perform any work or duty outside the scope of
their assigned job description.
Editors
Dean Eulogia M. Cueva Atty. Orlando B. Cariño