The Senate passed a measure that would strengthen the fiscal autonomy of the judicial branch of government.
With all 23 senators voting in the affirmative, the Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2982 or the Fiscal Autonomy Act of the Judicial Branch of Government.
SBN 2982 is a consolidation of SBNs 1996, 2111 and 2659 filed by Senators Migz Zubiri, Joel Villanueva, Bong Go, Raffy Tulfo and Koko Pimentel III.
Pimentel, chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights and sponsor of the bill, said SBN 2982 will allow the judiciary to fully enjoy the extent of fiscal autonomy granted by the Constitution for a more effective and swifter administration of justice in the country.
“The bill aims to recognize the judiciary as an independent and co-equal branch of government, subject to checks and balances under a democratic system, by institutionalizing its fiscal autonomy.”
Zubiri, principal author of the bill, said the bill aims to recognize the judiciary as an independent and co-equal branch of government, subject to checks and balances under a democratic system, by institutionalizing its fiscal autonomy.
This would allow the judiciary to function better and more efficiently and deliver justice to the people more effectively, the veteran legislator said.
Under the measure, the budget proposal made by the judiciary shall be included in the national budget without revisions, without prejudice to the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) submission of its proposed revisions if necessary.
The DBM, the bill stated, must indicate that the revisions are its own and not that of the Supreme Court’s, and that the DBM shall consult in writing the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice concerning its comments on, and suggest revisions to the proposed budget for the judiciary.
As provided under Section 3, Article VIII of the Constitution, appropriations for the judiciary may not be reduced below the amount appropriated for the previous year. After approval by Congress, the appropriations for the judiciary shall be automatically and regularly released.
The Supreme Court or the Chief Justice will be given the power to realign their budget and create a Judiciary Trust Fund.
The bill also proposes that the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice be given the power to realign their budget and create a Judiciary Trust Fund, which shall be dedicated to the use of the judiciary. All the funds collected for or accruing to the judiciary may be deposited and kept in the said trust fund, and from which funds needed for its operation shall be drawn.
The proposal also allows the Supreme Court to create offices and reorganize its administrative structure at the national and regional levels within the limits of its available resources.
The Supreme Court shall likewise have the authority to create such positions and allocate the necessary budgetary support for the smooth operations of such offices.
The creation of offices at the regional level shall be guided by the principles of decentralization of administrative, financial, and personnel matters, and of bringing court management closer to the litigants and other users of the judicial system.
