Everyday about 2,130 judges and 26,238 court personnel across the country contend with over 780,000 cases before the courts, excluding the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Despite this severe case overload, Filipinos keep choosing to bring their case to court, unaware of other legal remedies. The poor and marginalized groups, in turn, often avoid legal matters entirely. Many are discouraged by the high cost of litigation, the case delays and a perceived bias favoring rich and educated litigants.

The Supreme Court of the Philippines embarked on the Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR) to confront these and several other issues that negatively affect the quality and delivery of judicial services.

In support of the APJR, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) helped develop the Justice Reform Initiatives Support (JURIS) Project. The five-year JURIS Project addresses two elements of the APJR: strengthen and promote the use of mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to decongest the courts and improve the Filipinos’ access to justice, especially among the poor. Underlying the design of JURIS are commitments to ensuring the project is locally driven; building the capacity of organizations involved, both within and outside of government, who will be in a position to ensure sustainability of project activities; and to building a platform for ongoing judicial reform among a broad range of stakeholders.

JURIS Project Management | Partners for Reform