MANILA -- The Supreme Court (SC) en banc has approved changes to the Bar examinations, primarily the proposal to have two examiners per subject for the four-day examination for admission of would-be lawyers.
In a notice, the SC en banc through Clerk of Court Edgar O. Aricheta said the tribunal in a resolution dated January 15 has resolved to "approve the adoption of a general policy to designate two examiners per subject for the bar examinations" upon the recommendation of 2019 Bar examinations chair Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe.
The exams usually held on the four weekends of November cover Political Law, Labor Law, Civil Law, Taxation, Mercantile Law, Criminal Law, Remedial Law, and Legal and Judicial Ethics.
Under the proposal each subject covered in the Bar exams shall be divided into two parts and each of two examiners per subject shall be assigned a specific scope from which to formulate their questions.
During the examinations, each Bar examinee shall be given questionnaire containing parts 1 and 2 and two conjoined booklets where answers corresponding to each part of the questionnaire shall be written.
The proposal was implemented in 2009 under then Associate Justice Antonio B. Nachura and in 2010 under then Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales.
It is seen "to promote operational efficiency in light of the notable increase in the number of admitted candidates in recent years", the SC said.
The SC resolution also approved the increase in the honoraria of examiners from PHP275 to PHP400 for each candidate or PHP200 per examiner for each candidate and the Bar chairperson from PHP350 to PHP400 for each candidate. (PNA)
