Oath taking, roll signing of new lawyers set Dec 22

THE Supreme Court (SC) has set the oath taking and roll signing of the successful 2023 Bar examinees next month even as it has yet to announce the results of the exams.

“The oath taking and roll signing for the successful 2023 Bar examinees shall be held on December 22, 2023, Friday, at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City,” the SC’s Public Information Office said.

“There will be no increase in the Bar admission fees this year. Examinees and guests are encouraged to make the necessary logistical preparations,” it added.

Asked why the announcement of the oath taking and roll signing was made ahead of the results of the Bar, the SC PIO said it was the decision of Associate Justice and 2023 Bar Chairperson Ramon Paul Hernando.

Hernando earlier said the SC is eyeing to release the results of the Bar early December.

“This year, however, following the examples of my recent predecessors as Bar chair, the time spent by the examinees waiting in agony for the results of the exams will be cut short: My team and I are eyeing the release of the results of the 2023 Bar Examinations in early December before Christmas day,” Hernando said last September.

If the plan pushes through, it would be one of the fastest instances that the SC released the list of Bar passers, although for the past three years, the exams have been digitalized, instead of the usual handwritten exams.

The High Court traditionally releases the results of the Bar during their summer session in Baguio City.

This year’s Bar exams ended on September 24 with 10,387 aspiring lawyers completing the grueling test in 14 local testing centers nationwide, including six in Metro Manila.

There were 3,992 hopefuls who passed the 2022 Bar exams out of 9,183 examinees.