organization of courts

• regular court

  • FIRST LEVEL COURT = commonly referred to as Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTC), Municipal Trial Courts (MTCC), and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts (MCTC)
• regular court

  • SECOND LEVEL COURT = regional trial courts which are established among the 13 judicial regions (region 1 to 12, NCR)
• regular court

  • COURT OF APPEALS = with 69 justices headed by the presiding justice which operates in 23 divisions, each comprising 3 members
• regular court

  • COURT OF APPEALS = sits en banc (on bench; all judges) only exercise administrative, ceremonial, or other non-adjudicatory functions
• special court

  • Shari'a District Court = equivalent to the Regional Trial Court in rank, which were established in certain provinces in Mindanao where the Muslim Code on Personal Laws is being enforced
• special court

  • Shari'a Circuit Courts = counterpart of Municipal Circuit Trial Courts established in certain municipalities in Mindanao
• special court

  • Sandiganbayan = has jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases involving graft and corrupt practices and such other offenses committed by public officers and employees
• special court

  • Court of Tax Appeals = created under RA 1125, amended by RA 9282, which has exclusive appellate jurisdiction to review on appeal decision of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue involving internal revenue taxes and decisions of the Commissioner of Customs involving custom duties
• quasi-judicial agencies

  • administrative bodies under the executive branch performing quasi-judicial functions (e.g., National Labor Relations Commission, the Employees Compensation Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Insurance Commission, Independent Constitutional Commissions) do not form part of the integrated judicial system
• SEC. 2, ART. 8 = the Congress have the power to define, prescribe, and apportion the jurisdiction of various courts but may not deprive the Supreme Court of its jurisdiction over cases enumerated in SEC. 5
• SEC. 2, ART. 8 = no law shall be passed reorganizing the Judiciary when it undermines the security of tenure of its Members
• jurisdiction of courts

  • general = empowered to decide all disputes which may come before it except those assigned to other courts
• jurisdiction of courts

  • limited = has the authority to hear and determine only a few specified case
• jurisdiction of courts

  • original = tries and decides a case presented for the first time; may be exclusive or concurrent
• jurisdiction of courts

  • appellate = takes a case already heard and decided by a lower court removed from the latter by appeal
• jurisdiction of courts

  • exclusive = tries and decides a case which cannot be presented before any other courts
• jurisdiction of courts

  • concurrent = when any two or more courts may take cognizance of a case
• jurisdiction of courts

  • criminal = exists for a punishment of crime
• jurisdiction of courts

  • civil = exists when the subject matter is not of criminal nature
• period for deciding cases (SEC. 15, ART. 8)

  • SC = 24 months
• period for deciding cases (SEC. 15, ART. 8)

  • lower collegiate courts = 12 months, unless reduced by SC
• period for deciding cases (SEC. 15, ART. 8)

  • other lower courts = 3 months, unless reduced by SC
• period for deciding cases (SEC. 15, ART. 8)

  • upon expiration of the period, the Chief Justice or Presiding Judge shall issue a certification stating why the decision or resolution has not been rendered within the period