English stylebook for ombudsman lawyers unveiled

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday launched a 130-page stylebook that aims to enhance the analytical and writing skills of its personnel.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and Deputy Mission Head Trevor Lewis of the British embassy in Manila unveiled the new tool printed and distributed under the Rapid Assessment and Seminar on Case Analysis and Legal Draftsmanship (RASCALD) program.

The long-term goal of the initiative is to speed up the disposition rate of criminal and administrative cases by 25 percent in 2015 toward a zero case backlog by 2018.

Lewis said the British government is happy to support the Office of the Ombudsman’s ambitious program of achieving zero backlog status through more efficient and effective processes of handling complaints.

He said institutions like the anti-graft agency with a highly motivated staff can stand the test of time even as politicians and personalities come and go.

Morales also expressed commitment to the RASCALD project, believing that fast and judicious resolution of cases will deter corruption and deepen the public trust in government institutions and processes.

By empowering the Office of the Ombudsman’s lawyers and increasing their capacities, she said there will be a more efficient and effective delivery of services.

Last July, Morales bared her plans to fix the bad writing skills of prosecutors and graft investigators, which contribute to the delay in the disposition of cases.

“In the course of office operations, we have observed that action papers submitted for view reveal certain areas that need improvement,” she said.

She noted that issues encountered include poor grammar, irregular style and formats, typographical errors, inconsistencies, poor presentation and appreciation of facts and issues, and erroneous appreciation of applicable jurisprudence.

Morales said the Office of the Ombudsman’s writing style should be lucid, concise, logical and able to emphasize early on what the case is all about.