Supreme Court reports 92% success rate in court video conferencing

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court announced that video conferencing in Philippine courts has reached a 92% success rate.

Speaking at the second anniversary of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations on Monday, October 21, Associate Justice Midas Marquez reported that since September 2020, more than 1.5 million online hearings have taken place.

In the initial six months of video conferencing—from May to October 2020—more than 100,000 hearings were conducted, with an average success rate of 88%, according to Marquez. As the courts adapted to the system, the success rate eventually climbed to 95%.

“[This] led to the expectation that video conferencing hearings would continue,” Marquez said.

He also stressed that video conferencing offers additional protection for child witnesses during proceedings.

To further improve the system, Marquez highlighted that the Supreme Court has formed a committee on electronic testimony, supporting the judiciary’s transition to a more technology-driven approach.

“A new committee on electronic testimony was created in line with the court's efforts towards technology-driven judiciary and provided all court proceedings, regardless of the nature, type, and state of the case, may be conducted through videoconferencing at the discretion of the judge,” Marquez said.

He added that the court is also working to refine the rules and guidelines for virtual hearings to address concerns raised by stakeholders.

The Supreme Court first introduced video conferencing in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling remote participation in court proceedings. This system includes taking testimony and conducting hearings through "videoconferencing technology," which uses video, audio, and data transmission to allow participants in different locations to communicate in real-time.