SC adopts new rules for virtual hearings

THE Supreme Court (SC) has approved amendments to its guidelines on court videoconferencing, institutionalizing remote proceedings and strengthening rules on virtual hearings and remote appearances of parties and witnesses.

According to the High Court en banc, the amendments aim to expand access to virtual court hearings, particularly for digitally disadvantaged individuals and those in geographically or geopolitically marginalized areas.

The SC said courts may deploy personnel to provide mobile or temporary internet access and establish supervised “access points” for litigants, witnesses, and other participants, among other measures.

The SC said the guidelines cover videoconferencing before first- and second-level courts, the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, and the Court of Tax Appeals, and apply to all actions and proceedings at any stage, including mediation, consultation, deliberation, and the promulgation of decisions and resolutions.

Courts may also allow participation from overseas venues, including embassies, consulates, and other government offices, but the SC said: “The court cannot compel any litigant or witness to participate or testify through videoconferencing from overseas venues.”

The SC added that videoconferencing is now the preferred mode for cases involving persons deprived of liberty, children in conflict with the law, arraignments, and bail hearings, noting that the technology may also be used to protect child witnesses and victims of gender-based violence by hiding the accused from view.

The 19-page resolution, containing revisions proposed by the Committee on Virtual Hearings and Electronic Testimony chaired by Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, was made public on Tuesday and is set to take effect Feb. 16, 2026. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking