The current Supreme Court never fails to surprise, in a positive way. After coming out with sometimes unexpected case rulings, it recently updated a code to bind lawyers to new standards of responsibility and accountability.
It was the first update in 34 years of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA). The Supreme Court (SC) approved it unanimously last Tuesday, April 11, 2023. The code was launched last Thursday, in time for the release of the bar exam results the next day.
A press release on https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph said the SC intended to update the code to craft a modern, relevant and responsive guide for lawyers’ conduct. As Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said in his keynote speech Tuesday, the work was actually more than an update. “It is an overhaul, an overhaul on the approach and attitude by lawyers of their ethical responsibility in the new era of law practices, an era of more attuned, more responsible and more accountable legal practice,” he said.
On the lawyers’ responsibilities on digital platforms, he said: “As we navigate the complex world of social media, we must ensure that our online presence upholds the dignity of our profession. This means refraining from posting false or unverified information, revealing confidential matters, or using social media to unduly influence official duties.”
Work on the code resulted from a five-leg Ethics Caravan, a series of consultative discussions held in Cebu, Davao, Naga, Baguio and Manila, where over 2,000 legal practitioners took part from September 2022 to January 2023, the SC press release said.
The former SC did not always get favorable comments on some of its decisions, but this current High Court is getting applause for several recent rulings, including the acquittal of Cebu journalist Leo Lastimosa of the libel charge filed by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia after 16 years of trial. The decision was seen by some in the media as a victory for press freedom.
Other decisions that were welcomed were on SC declarations that marital infidelity was a form of psychological violence that violates the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act and that interment services are covered by the 20 percent discount on funeral and burial expenses provided by the Senior Citizens Act.
This updated code is expected to impact the conduct of lawyers as they perform duties beyond the physical realm and in the digital world.
Other professions can take the cue from the SC and look into their own codes of standards on ethics and responsibility to check if the new ways of communicating and relating with clients are reflected.
Journalists, for example, have codes to abide by as the industry is guided by principles of self-regulation and market pressure rather than state regulation. This is the reason newsrooms are encouraged to regularly review and update their codes to ensure that new situations are covered and journalists can be guided on the proper conduct.
The same applies to other industries.