IT Law Journal

administrator January 3rd, 2005

SC E-Library: Delivering Vital Legal Information Online
by Ma. Cristina A. Ramos

Consistent with its role of upholding the rule of law through fair, expeditious and timely judicial process and effective, efficient and speedy administration of justice, the Supreme Court of the Philippines in October 2004 launched the e-library to cater to information needs of the Judiciary, justices, officials and staff of the SC, and judges of the lower courts.

The proponents of the e-library envision the project to be the model law library of the Philippines by maintaining the ‘highest standard and services’ and creating an ‘information highway that will provide the communication linkages to enhance the delivery of vital legal information’ not only within the Judiciary but to the general public as well.

Accessible to the public, anytime, anywhere

The major advantage of the e-library is its being accessible to the general public anytime of the day. Unlike the non-electronic library, any person can use and enjoy the library privileges in front of their computers by simply connecting to the Internet. The non-electronic library privileges extends only to the following:

1. Members of the bench and the bar;
2. Government officials and employees;
3. Representatives of the diplomatic and consular services; and,
4. Other persons engaged in highly legal or scientific research.

These users, however, are allowed to use the library resources only within the premises of the library. Borrowing privileges in the non-electronic library is limited to SC officials and employees and the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. In addition to that, the non-electronic library is open only 8 am to 12 noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays.

With the coming into being of the SC e-library, anybody can now access the library anytime he wants to. Not all the contents of the e-library, however, are available to the public for free. The ‘free site’ includes SC decisions and resolutions. This site, however, is not provided with a ‘search tool.’ The other parts of the e-library, particularly those which are equipped with text retrieval system, are available only to subscribers. This is the ‘members only’ site.

Contents of the e-library

The e-ibrary resources include jurisprudence, laws, court issuances, executive issuances, references, and memorabilia. These contents or resources are searchable and search instructions are available in a mouse-click.

‘Jurisprudence’ includes SC decisions and resolutions. Under it is a link to information about the poject COMUSDEC. The latter is an ongoing project of the SC library to retrieve missing SC decisions from 1901 to 1945. Majority of the original decisions during the said period were destroyed during World War II. These are the unpublished decisions of the SC. Project COMUSDEC aims to call on the people concerned and the public to help the Judiciary locate the missing decisions to complete the compilation of the SC decisions.

Under ‘Law’” are the different Constitutions of the land and various legislative enactments. Aside from the 1935, 1873 and the 1987 Constitutions, the e-library also provides access to the Malolos Constitution, the 1986 Freedom Constitution and a comparison of the 1935, 1973 and the 1987 Constitution.

Legislative enactments, on the other hand, include 4,275 public acts (cited as Act No.) enacted by the Philippine Assembly from 1901 to 1935, 733 Commonwealth Acts passed from 1935 to 1946, 2035 Presidential Decrees that were enacted from 1972 to 1986 and more than 9000 Republic Acts which include congressional enactments from the declaration of independence in 1946 until the declaration of Martial law in 1972 and also recent enactments of Congress since the latter was organized under the 1987 Constitution.

The Rules of Court, circulars and administrative matters can be found under ‘Court Issuances.’ The Rules of Court therein provided includes the 1918 Rules of Court, the Rules of Court of First Instance of 1919, 1940 Rules of Court, 1964 Rules of Court, Rules of Civil Procedure of 1901 (Act No. 190), 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Criminal Procedure (1900, 1985, 1988 and 2000), Rules of Evidence (1989) and Special Proceedings.

Some of the administrative matters contained in this section are the following: 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice, Code of Conduct for Court Personnel, Proposed Guidelines on Corporate Surety Bonds and Conditions on the Commercial Exploitation of Supreme Court Decisions.

The e-library also contains executive issuances. Other references such as Benchbooks, Journals Catalogues and Index are likewise available. Lex libris is also accessible through the ‘members only site.’

A special site of the e-library, the Memorabilia Room is devoted to the Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court from the first Chief Justice to the newly-appointed Associate Justices. This section contains the picture, brief biography, decisions and articles, speeches by and about each Justices.

The Supreme Court e-Library may be accessed through http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/Web-Library/home.htm

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