Courts will only act on pleadings w/ electronic copy starting Sept. 1 — SC

The Supreme Court (SC) has announced that trial courts will only act on pleadings and other court submissions in civil cases if these are accompanied by an electronic copy starting September 1. 

SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting said that filings must be accompanied by an electronic transmittal of the document in PDF format through email. 

“Electronic submissions must be completed within 24 hours of the primary matter of service, which includes personal filing, registered mail, or accredited courier,” Ting said in a press conference.

Meanwhile, she said that courts may waive the electronic transmittal requirement if the annexes, exhibits, and other accompanying documents cannot be converted or if sealed and confidential documents are included.

According to Ting, all orders and documents issued by trial courts in civil cases must also be accompanied by an electronic transmittal.

By December 1, she said that aside from initiatory pleadings, all filings, pleadings, and other court submissions must be done through email within certified judicial regions.

Ting said that initiatory pleadings may still be done through personal service, registered mail, or accredited courier, but it must be accompanied by an electronic transmittal of a PDF copy.

The SC spokesperson explained that judicial regions may be certified if all their courts are equipped to receive electronic transmittals; each court has a trained personnel for the reception, processing, and storage of electronic transmittals; all judges have the capacity and capability to issue decisions, resolutions, and orders in electronic format; and a website has been made for the storage of and public access of the court submissions. —VAL, GMA Integrated News