Supreme Court, Netherlands university sign MOU for training

The Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), the training arm of the Supreme Court (SC), has signed a memorandum of understanding with Leiden University in the Netherlands for a 10-day training course on judicial management and administration of complex cases, the High Court announced Tuesday.

Chancellor Rosmari Carandang represented the PHILJA while Dr. Carsten Stahn represented the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies, Leiden Law School, Leiden University for the signing on Oct. 30.

"The MOU is part of the Court's comprehensive restructuring and re-organization of both its adjudicative and administrative systems and processes to make them more efficient and responsive, transparent and accountable," Justice Maria Filomena Singh said in a statement.

According to the SC, the training course will be held from Nov. 25 to Dec. 6 in The Hague, Netherlands, and will include visits to national and international courts and tribunals located there.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo stressed that the administrative framework of the court plays a vital role in the resolution of cases.

"The journey towards justice is multi-dimensional, and while the judiciary's primary duty lies in adjudication, the administrative framework that supports our courts plays an equally vital role in ensuring the effective and expeditious resolution of cases," Gesmundo said.

For its part, Stahn expressed hope that the MOU will be the beginning of a continuous collaboration between the Grotius Centre for Legal Studies and the SC.

Stahn said it is the center's honor to host the 25 participants for the training as well as to share the practices of the courts and tribunals in The Hague. — VDV, GMA Integrated News