Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima has filed House Bill 7635, proposing the creation of the Joint Congressional Commission on Justice System Reform (JCCJSR) to address long-standing delays and inefficiencies in the Philippine justice system.
De Lima highlighted that weaknesses in the justice sector undermine both democracy and accountability.
“A justice system that is slow, inaccessible, and vulnerable to undue influence erodes the very foundations of democracy and rule of law,” she said, cautioning that corruption flourishes when oversight and judicial processes fail.
The proposed commission aims to conduct nationwide hearings and consultations with key stakeholders, including members of the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, civil society groups, and the private sector.
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies will provide technical assistance in assessing institutional capacity, streamlining procedures, strengthening anti-corruption frameworks, and reducing case backlogs.
“By institutionalizing a coordinated reform mechanism between the Senate and the House of Representatives and leveraging the expertise of independent specialists, we seek to modernize justice institutions, strengthen anti-corruption frameworks, reduce case backlog, and restore public confidence in the rule of law,” de Lima added.
Under HB 7635, the JCCJSR will consist of nine members: three each from the Senate and House of Representatives, a retired justice, and two representatives from the private sector and academe.
The commission will operate for three years unless extended by Congress.
De Lima stressed the urgency of justice reform, saying: “Sa maaasahang sistemang pangkatarungan kung saan napapanagot ang nagkasala gaano man kayaman o kataas ang kapangyarihan, hindi lang posible, kundi mabilis ding maibabalik ang tiwala ng taumbayan sa pamahalaan.”