Summary
Highlights
The Judicial Department is administered by the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice, making it the highest judicial authority in the Philippines. The judiciary acts as a watchdog for the legislative and executive departments, ensuring that laws and actions comply with the constitution and protect citizens' rights.
Judicial power involves interpreting and applying laws. Adjudicatory power allows courts to hear cases, apply relevant laws, and resolve disputes. Judicial review grants courts, especially the Supreme Court, the power to review the validity of laws and government actions, striking down those found unconstitutional. Incidental power enables courts to punish individuals disrupting proceedings or disrespecting court orders, maintaining order and authority.
Criminal cases involve offenses affecting the community at large, such as killings or massacres. Civil cases, on the other hand, pertain to disputes between two or more individuals or entities, often concerning contractual obligations, property rights, or personal injuries. An example is a breach of contract between individuals.
Courts are classified by origin into constitutional courts (the Supreme Court, mandated by the constitution) and statutory courts (lower-level courts created by law with limited jurisdiction). They are also classified by case type into special courts (Court of Tax Appeal, Sandiganbayan, Court of Appeals, Sharia Court) which handle specific types of cases, and regular courts which handle common, broader range of cases.
The Supreme Court consists of one Chief Justice and 14 Associate Justices. Qualifications for a Chief Justice include being a natural-born citizen, at least 40 years old, having 15 or more years of experience in law practice, possessing proven competence, integrity, probity, and independence, and being a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. Justices are appointed by the President from a list submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council and have a mandatory retirement age of 70.
The video recaps Article 8, covering the administration of the Judicial Department by the Supreme Court, the three aspects of judicial power (adjudicatory, judicial review, incidental), the distinction between criminal and civil cases, and the classification of courts by origin (constitutional, statutory) and case type (special, regular), including specific examples of special courts. It also reiterates the composition, qualifications, and appointment process for Supreme Court justices.