Supreme Court OKs P1.865 billion for new Manila Hall of Justice

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has approved the release of P1.865 billion for the construction of a new Manila Hall of Justice that will symbolize the modern, state-of-the-art face of the country’s judiciary.

SC spokesperson Ma. Victoria Gleoresty Guerra said the justices of the high court have agreed to get the fund for the project from the judiciary’s existing savings.

The project has been a priority of the high court even during the time of impeached chief justice Renato Corona to improve the poor condition of the rooms of the Manila regional trial court currently housed at the Manila City Hall and at the condemned building of the Government Service Insurance System in Arroceros.

The proposed building will house 120 courtrooms and will have LCD screens outside each courtroom to allow lawyers, litigants and the public to view court activities and announcements.

It will also be environment-friendly with paperless conference rooms equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, intercom and Internet wireless hotspots installed in strategic areas.

The high-tech Hall of Justice will also boast of a centralized filing and docketing system to vastly improve the administration of justice.

The project is worth about P3 billion. The SC is funding more than half of the budget while the rest of the amount will be sourced from the private sector or the SC’s allied foreign institutions.