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NEW DOCTRINEFacts
The Antecedents: The Supreme Court, sitting en banc, issued a Resolution dated October 6, 2020, concerning proposed reforms to the Bar Examinations. Procedural History: Not applicable. The Petition: The Court considered a concept paper submitted by Bar Chairperson Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, proposing innovations for a more equitable Bar Examinations, including increasing the number of bar examiners per subject.
Issue(s)
Whether the Court should approve the proposed timeline for the 2020/21 Bar Examinations. Whether the Court should approve the recommendation for the Committee of Bar Examiners to be composed of three examiners per bar subject.
Ruling
The Court en banc, acting on the recommendations of Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, noted the concept paper on proposed Bar Examination reforms and approved the proposed timeline for the 2020/21 Bar Examinations and the recommendation that the Committee of Bar Examiners be composed of three (3) examiners per bar subject.
Ratio Decidendi
On the proposed timeline for the 2020/21 Bar Examinations: The Court approved the proposed timeline submitted by the Office of the Bar Chairperson. This action is taken in light of the governmental restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the postponement of the 2020 Bar Examinations to November 2021. The approval of the timeline is crucial for the orderly administration of the bar examinations under these extraordinary circumstances. On the composition of the Committee of Bar Examiners: The Court approved the recommendation that the Committee of Bar Examiners be composed of three (3) examiners per bar subject. This proposal stems from the anticipated increase in the number of bar examinees, considering those who will graduate in 2021 and take the bar in the same year. Traditionally, only one examiner was assigned per subject, with exceptions in 2009, 2010, and 2019 where two examiners were appointed. The increase in examiners per subject is intended to maximize the efficiency of preparing questions and checking answers, thereby ensuring a more equitable examination process.
Main Doctrine
The Supreme Court, in the exercise of its constitutional authority to promulgate rules concerning admission to the practice of law, approved a proposed timeline for the 2020/21 Bar Examinations and the composition of the Committee of Bar Examiners to consist of three examiners per bar subject, in response to the anticipated increase in examinees due to the postponement of the 2020 Bar Examinations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.