National Judicial Institute

Published purpose

The Justice Reform Initiatives Support (JURIS) Project supports the implementation of the Supreme Court's Action Program for Judicial Reform(APJR) and its Supplement. In particular, the project supports the access to justice theme, keeping in mind the very critical and real problem of case congestion and delay. The project has three major components: (1) Mediation Support/ADR Strengthening: introduces and tests court-annexed mediation (CAM) and judicial dispute resolution (JDR) as a means of de-congesting court dockets while still providing a fair resolution to cases. The project pilots model courts that institutionalize the use of CAM and JDR. Two model courts are being piloted in San Fernando City and Bacolod City. Two to three additional sites are selected over the remainder of the project. The Philippine Judicial Academy also strengthens family courts and the family mediation program through this component; (2) Judicial Education: strengthens the capacity of the Philippine Judicial Academy, the legal and judicial education arm of the Supreme Court, to plan, design, and deliver education programs for judges and court personnel, relating primarily to court-based and court-annexed mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and access to justice; and (3) Reform Advocacy Support: strengthens the capacity of the Alternative Law Groups to engage government and other institutions to improve the quality of judicial services and access to justice for the poor and marginalized.