EDITORIAL

Purging the judiciary of misfits, scalawags

The purge of misfits and scalawags from the judiciary is the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” of every justice who is appointed chief of the Supreme Court, and, therefore, head of the nation’s justice system.

No position is more coveted by our legal minds and legal practitioners than that of the chief justice. No objective is also more elusive and intractable than the cleansing of our justice system by the removal of misfits and scalawags.

If Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin will have his way, his 11-month tenure as head of the judiciary could be the most transformative in its history.

The chief justice has vowed to get rid of misfits and scalawags during his brief tenure, which will end in October this year when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 for Supreme Court justices.

“I will purge the judiciary of misfits nd scalawags and enforce the rules of discipline,” he declared. He has made the purge a key part of his four-point agenda as chief justice.

.

The way we see this, the purge could either be the most challenging or the most memorable part of his tenure.

“Misfits and scalawags,” or “hoodlums in robes,” as they are derisively described, have been the grief or embarrassment of our justice system since the recovery of national independence in 1946.

As CJ, Bersamin has described the problem: “In the provinces, there is a very strong perception that justice is only for the strong, the influential and the wealthy.

“Those judges and employees in the provinces who have contributed to this wrong perception of the judiciary will have to go,” he said.

Also in his four-point agenda are the expeditious resolution of court cases, the upgrading of the mechanics of the bar examinations, and the enhancement of the participation of law students in legal aid programs for the poor.

Bersamin bared his plans during a testimonial diner tendered in his honor by the University of Santo Tomas, where he served as law professor from 2001 to 2006.

He sees the updating and upgrading of the present rules of court as the key to accomplishing major reform.

He conceded that the present rules of court contain provisions that institutionalize delays. He says he will work hard to “update our procedural rules to make them embody and be attuned to technological developments.”

He believes updated rules will make the judicial system more responsive to the public need for “quick dispensation of justice.”

The updating of rules is one of the principal functions of the Supreme Court, in addition to case adjudication. “It is very basic,” says Bersamin.

To show how serious he is about reform, he ordered the cleansing to start in his home province of Abra in instructions given to Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez during the dinner.

“That is a marching order,” he said, “no matter if they are my relatives or not. I am sure you know what I mean.”

If this reform effort is successful, CJ Bersamin will leave behind one of the most sterling achievements of a chief justice in the history of the Philippine judiciary.

The justice has already figured in the writing of historic, landmark decisions of the high court.

Should his purge plan meet with success, he would leave the nation a lasting legacy when he retires in October this year.

There would be no cause anymore for anyone to say “shoulda, coulda, woulda.” CJ Bersamin would have made it happen.

ASEANEWS EDITORIAL & CARTOONS:

PHILIPPINE NEWS EDITORIALS:

 MANILA STANDARD – A bad idea

.

The Manila Times – …. …MORE FILIPINO FAMILIES CONSIDERED THEMSELVES POOR IN 2018 – SURVEY

.

 The Philippine Daily Inquirer – Welcome fund realignment

.

The Philippine Star –  Waiting for implementation

Pilipino STAR Ngayon – Mga botika, hindi sumusunod sa batas

 .

.

SINGAPORE’S The Straits Times

The Straits Times says

Britain needs more time for Brexit

.

.

The only surprise in the outcome of the parliamentary vote on British Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan for Britain’s exit from the European Union was the 230-vote margin by which it was defeated. With more than two-thirds of British parliamentarians having voted against the deal, including 118 members of Mrs May’s own Conservative Party, there is no chance that she can go back to Brussels to negotiate minor revisions and then expect her deal to go through on another vote – which might have been possible had her plan been defeated by only a slim margin. In other words, Mrs May’s Brexit deal is as good as dead. But the problem is that British MPs do not seem to agree on any alternative. All the other options – a no-deal Brexit, a Norway-type agreement under which Britain would stay in the EU’s Customs union and have to submit to its rules without being a member, and a second referendum on Brexit – are still open, but none of them appeal to a majority of MPs, let alone their voters.As the dust settles following the crushing defeat of Mrs May’s Brexit plan, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, Mr Jeremy Corbyn, proposes repeated no-confidence motions against her government, the first of which was defeated narrowly on Wednesday. But even if Mrs May’s government were to be forced out, the Labour Party would have to contend with the same parliamentary arithmetic on Brexit that she did, and with the same EU officials. Nor has Labour itself come up with a coherent Brexit plan of its own. So a change of leadership at this stage would, if anything, be just a distraction that would be unlikely to produce a better outcome that would be acceptable to both the EU and British MPs.TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/st-editorial/britain-needs-more-time-for-brexit

.

THAILAND’S Bangkok Post – Prawit’s joke in bad taste

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon jokes about the Nairobi terrorist attack to reporters on Thursday. (Twitter/@wassanananuam)

.

As one of the country’s leaders, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon should be keen to avoid bad jokes, especially ones that — due to a lack of sensitivity — could hurt the feelings of people in mourning, not to mention embarrass Thailand diplomatically.

.

Unfortunately,…  READ MORE:  https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1613146/prawits-joke-in-bad-taste

.

ADS by Cloud 9:
.
– SPACE RESERVE FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT –
.

.

All photographs, news, editorials, opinions, information, data, others have been taken from the Internet ..aseanews.net | [email protected] |.For comments, Email to :D’Equalizer | [email protected] | Contributor

It's only fair to share...