The Supreme Court is currently finalizing the rules for "paperless pleadings" on cases filed directly before it using the Electronic Filing and Service System (EFSS) project. Litigants, after registering and paying the corresponding fees, will be assigned a username and password. Using this, litigants may electronically file documents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The electronic signature constitutes the signature required by the Rules of Court while notarized documents as the Verifications and Certifications of Non-forum shopping may be scanned, but the Court may require the original to be produced for inspection of the other party. (See fullstory at: http://www.mb.com.ph/node/290966/)
There are so many advantages to this new system. First of all, it makes the whole process cheaper. My OLA experience so far has exposed me to just how expensive filing pleadings can get. One can spend 5 figures easily on photocopying alone, what more mailing costs and filing fees. In my Remlaw Review class, our professor told us about a time their firm hired 3 vans just to carry all the documents they will be filing with the Supreme Court. I can't imagine how much paper they used for that single pleading but I'm pretty sure my Envi Law professor would be furious knowing so many trees were cut for that purpose. Which brings me to the second advantage--electronic filing is environment-friendly. I really dont understand why the Supreme Court needs a total of 18 copies. What do they do with all those? The third advantage comes from the fact that the system is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means that lawyers no longer need to beat the 5pm close deadline of the post office or go all the way to MOA which, to my knowledge, is the only post office that's open til 9pm. Sent by 11:59 is still considered filed on said date. Of course the flipside would be, firms now have the perfect excuse to keep you at the office until the break of dawn. :p
Ma. Anna Katrina C. Eustaquio, Entry No. 9
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