Research of Case Law Flashcards
What is Case Law?
Also known as Judicial decisions, are official interpretations or manifestations of law made by persons and agencies of the government performing judicial and quasi-judicial functions
Where do Case Laws come from?
THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980 (Batas Pambansa Blg. 129) established courts which sources Case Laws in the country.
Key distinguishments of Case Law Research against Statute Law Research (3)
- Records are confidential
- Accessible only by Justices/judges, Clerks of Court(COC), Specific court employees
- Can be requested only by: Parties and lawyers to the case
Key distinguishments of Statute Law Research against Case Law Research (4)
- Records are publicly avaialble
- Research on the law can be done
while the law is pending- from the
time it is filed, deliberated, until it
is passed. - Made by regularly constituted
court of justice - Made by administrative agencies
performing quasi-judicial
functions
Challenges of Case Law Research (2)
- The availability of published or printed decisions from the Court of Appeals down to the rest of the judicial and quasi-judicial agencies.
- There are no available printed compilations of lower court decisions
This contains the complete Supreme Court decisions from 1901 to present and Appellate Court decisions from the most recent.
Supreme Court e-Library
What records does the Reporters Office keep?
The original (signed, sealed and full text) copies of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal decisions
For judiciary and quasi-judicial agencies other than the SC and CA, where can we find their decisions?
Copies of their decisions may be taken from their Legal Office, Office of the Clerks of Court, Records Office, or their libraries
2 Kinds of Supreme Court Decisions
- Regular Decisions
- Minute Resolutions
Subordinate Decisions are made by?
Administrative agencies performing quasi-judicial fuctions
3 Characteristics of Regular Decisions of the SC
- Published in court reports
- Provide the justice who penned the decisions and the other justices responsible for promulgating the decision
- Available in print and uploaded electronically under DECISIONS in Supreme Court e-library after certification of Chief Justice
3 Characteristics of Minute Resolutions of the SC
- Not published in court reports, but bear the same force and effect as the regular decisions and extended resolutions
- Issued and signed by the respective Clerks of Court, En Banc or by either of the three (3) Divisions
- Have been incorporated alongside Administrative Matters in the Supreme Court e-library uploaded under RESOLUTIONS
Primary sources of SC Decisions (4)
- Official Gazette
- Advance Sheets
- Philippine Reports
- Unpublished Decisions
Primary sources of SC Decisions (4)
- Official Gazette
- Advance Sheets
- Philippine Reports
- Unpublished Decisions
What are Advance Sheets?
Photocopies or ‘reproduced form’ of actual decisions but printing has been discontinued