Gesmundo urges judges to maintain momentum in judicial reforms

MANILA, Philippines — Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo on Thursday urged trial court judges to uphold the progress in judicial reforms.

This is in relation to the Supreme Court’s (SC) Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI).

Gesmundo restated his plea for all judges to remain updated about the court's ongoing innovations and to further enhance their technological knowledge and skills to complement these advancements.

“Maximize the opportunity presented by occasions like this convention to strengthen collaboration and reaffirm your association’s resolve to help realize the vision we all share: an empowered judiciary that delivers, in real-time, the justice that our people deserve,” Gesmundo said in Philippine Judges Association (PJA) National Convention.

Released in October 2022, SPJI seeks to create fresh frameworks and strategies to address persistent issues within the judicial system, including case backlog, congested court schedules, and limited resources.

One aspect of SPJI involves innovation by leveraging technology to streamline court proceedings and enhance accessibility to the courts for the public.

The SC is already considering using artificial intelligence in transcribing court proceedings. 

But Gesmundo assured that it will not replace court stenographers.

“Text-to-voice (transcription tools) will not eliminate the job of stenographers but will make them more efficient and reliable,” Gesmundo said during an open forum at the SC’s meeting with development partners and stakeholders for the SPIJ 2022-2027. — with reports from Daphne Galvez