Supreme Court reports landmark rulings in 2025

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Supreme Court 2025 Landmark Rulings Shape Fundamental Rights, Electoral Law, and Accountability

The Supreme Court's year-end report for 2025 highlights a total of 3,735 cases resolved, marking significant milestones in judicial matters, Bar and administrative concerns. This blog post delves into the landmark rulings that have defined fundamental rights, electoral law, accountability, and more.

Digital Modernization and Caseload Management

The Court's efforts to digitize its operations have led to substantial reforms. Notable developments include

The implementation of electronic filing for petitions concerning marriage annulment
A pilot e-filing program for other motions via the eCourt PH application
The formal adoption of electronic and regionalized Bar examinations
The approval of pioneering Rules on Electronic Notarization

Fundamental Rights and Due Process

The Court has reaffirmed its commitment to upholding fundamental rights by emphasizing the importance of serious investigation in cases of enforced disappearances. Other notable decisions include

Upholding murder convictions against three police officers involved in the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos
Declaring that the performance of duties does not include murder, underscoring the need for accountability
Acquittals in drug and gun-ban cases due to procedural lapses in evidence handling

Electoral Law

The Court has clarified electoral law, abandoning prior doctrine to rule that votes for a disqualified nuisance candidate become stray votes. Other significant decisions include

Finding that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) violated a candidate's right to speedy disposition through unreasonable delay
Dismissing a disqualification case on the grounds that only a court conviction can bar candidacy

Accountability

The Court has sustained graft convictions against former local officials, underscoring the importance of accountability. Other notable decisions include

Sustaining graft convictions against former local officials and establishing that wealth disproportionate to a public officer's lawful income is presumed ill-gotten
Ruling that ex officio members of government corporate boards are ineligible for additional compensation

Social and Family Law

The Court has made significant rulings in social and family law, including

Permanent protection of P60 billion in PhilHealth funds to uphold the public's right to health
Finding that transferring a pregnant employee constitutes constructive dismissal
Clarifying psychological incapacity as a ground for annulment

Commercial and Tax Law

The Court has clarified commercial and tax law, including

Ruling that the state's share in the Malampaya gas project includes contractors' income taxes
Nullifying bank foreclosures due to unfair lending practices
Delineating prescriptive periods for value-added tax refund claims

Disciplinary Authority

The judiciary's disciplinary authority has been active, resulting in

Dismissal and disbarment of a judge for murder
Disbarment of several lawyers for misappropriating client funds and neglecting cases
Dismissal of a court clerk for soliciting money from a litigant

In conclusion, the Supreme Court's 2025 report highlights significant landmark rulings that have shaped fundamental rights, electoral law, accountability, and more. These decisions demonstrate the Court's commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting the public's interests.

Keywords Supreme Court, landmark rulings, fundamental rights, electoral law, accountability, digital modernization, caseload management, judicial matters, Bar and administrative concerns.

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.