The Supreme Court has held its fourth and final leg of regional consultation process on the Unified Legal Aid Service rules, one of the latest judicial reform projects under its Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City.
He said the SC, through the creation of the ULAS Rules, hopes to give the indigent, underrepresented, and marginalized members of society full and effective access to justice. Second, Chief Justice Gesmundo emphasized the importance of implementing safeguards for the aggregation of creditable hours in registered organizations to reduce or eliminate possible unfairness and abuse among lawyers. He also suggested that the Court could provide additional incentives for lawyers who comply with the requirements.
He shared that the TWG will begin collating and evaluating all input and feedback from the consultations for the consideration of the Court in drafting the final version of the ULAS Rules. “Whether you are in favor of the ULAS Rules, against it, or otherwise ambivalent as to its provisions, it is but consistent with all good reason that we understand the price that is being paid for its absence,” he stressed.