Lesson 8 - The Judicial Branch
Lesson 8 - The Judicial Branch
Article VIII
• Section 1, Article VIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that:
“The judicial power shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such
lower courts as may be established by law.
Judicial power includes the duty of the courts of justice to:
o settle actual controversies involving rights which are legally
demandable and enforceable, and
o to determine whether or not there has been a grave abuse of
discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the
part of any branch or instrumentality of the Government.
• Review courts:
• Supreme Court
• Court of Appeals
• Trial courts:
• Regional Trial Courts
• Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Circuit
Trial Courts, and Municipal Trial Courts in Cities
THE SUPREME COURT
THE SUPREME COURT
• Their tenure during good behavior is until they reach seventy (70)
years old or become incapacitated to perform their duties. They can
be removed from their position only through impeachment.
Notable Chief Justices
Cayetano Arellano Jose Abad Santos Claudio Teehankee Hilario Davide Maria Lourdes Sereno
COURT OF APPEALS
COURT OF APPEALS (CA)
• The qualifications for the justices of the Supreme Court also apply to
members of the Court of Appeals.
REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS
REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS (RTC)
• Regional Trial Courts are called second level courts and are divided
into thirteen (13) judicial regions (further subdivided into several
branches).
• RTCs are called appellate courts because these courts hear appeals
and review the decisions of lower courts.
COURTS OF FIRST LEVEL
MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS & MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURT
• Aside from these four (4) regular courts, the Judicial branch has also
special courts.
• Special courts are bodies within the judicial branch of government
that generally address only one area of law or have specifically
defined powers. These are the:
o Sandiganbayan
o Court of Tax Appeals
o Shari ’a Courts (Shari ’a District Courts and Shari ’a Circuit Courts)
SANDIGANBAYAN
• The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA), which is of the same level as the
Court of Appeals, was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 1125,
which was signed into law on June 16, 1954. Its present-day form was
constituted through RA 1125, as amended by Republic Act No. 9282
and Republic Act No. 9503.