SUPREME Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said judicial reforms should continue beyond 2027 to make justice accessible to all Filipinos.
“The Judiciary will not merely adopt technology. Within our sphere of influence, we will govern it,” Leonen said in his keynote address at the recent eNotary and Digital Trust: Twala Legal Tech Forum 2026 in Taguig City.
“No machine will sit on our Bench because no machine can give those reasons and answer for them. No machine can take the same oath that we took under our Constitution,” he added.
Leonen, who chairs the Supreme Court committees on Access to Justice and Underserved Areas and Human-Centered Augmented Intelligence in the Judiciary, said digital transformation must be measured by its impact on ordinary Filipinos, particularly those hampered by poverty and geographical isolation.
Technology, he said, can allow litigants to attend hearings without expensive travel, file pleadings remotely and have documents notarized without missing a day of work.
He cited the launch of the Remote Hearing and Equal Access to Law and Justice Program in Tawi-Tawi in 2024, which used satellite internet to enable videoconferencing and allow litigants and witnesses in remote communities to participate in court proceedings.
But Leonen cautioned that faster and more convenient services alone would not guarantee meaningful access to justice.
“Access to justice is an outcome of [the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations]. We are almost done, alongside efficiency and innovation. The plan ends in 2027. The obligation it names does not,” he said.
The Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 identifies access to justice, efficiency and innovation as key reform objectives. Leonen said the commitment to these goals must continue beyond the plan’s expiration.
He stressed that technology must be complemented by legal assistance and programs that empower marginalized communities to understand, assert and defend their rights.
Among the reforms he cited were the Unified Legal Assistance Service (ULAS) Rules, which took effect in 2025 and require covered lawyers to provide legal aid, and the Rules on Institutionalizing Support for Developmental and Social Change Lawyering. While the ULAS Rules expand access to legal representation, the latter rules recognize sustained legal work by lawyers and organizations addressing human rights concerns and the underlying causes of inequality.
Leonen said the nationwide rollout of electronic notarization, which began on Oct. 19, was another step toward making legal services more accessible.
The Supreme Court signed joint memorandum circulars with the Land Registration Authority and the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish guidelines for accepting and processing electronically notarized documents.
The forum, organized by Filipino legal technology company Twala, brought together representatives from the Judiciary, government, the legal profession, academe and the technology sector to discuss digital trust and the modernization of legal services.
Leonen said the judiciary must ensure that artificial intelligence enhances rather than replaces the work of judges and court personnel. Judicial decisions, he emphasized, must remain grounded in facts and law and be supported by reasoned explanations for which human judges are accountable.
He underscored the importance of clear rules, reliable technology and cooperation among institutions to build public confidence in electronic transactions.
“Digital transformation is measured in people. For them, digital justice means a case filed promptly, heard without needless delay, and decided fairly," he said.
