Judicial Reform Expert (Locally Recruited), Manila

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) serves as the Technical Lead for the third iteration of the European Union’s Governance in Justice Programme (EU-GOJUST) implemented in the Philippines. EU-GOJUST seeks to improve access to justice for all Filipinos and contribute to Philippine socio-economic development through a more effective, inclusive, and accountable justice system. These efforts are pursued by supporting the priorities of Philippine justice institutions such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Supreme Court, and justice-sector civil society organizations and law schools.

The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980, or Batas Pambansa Blg . 129 (BP 129), establishes the principal framework governing the organization, jurisdiction and territorial structure of Philippine courts. Although subsequently amended, its institutional design has remained substantially unchanged despite significant demographic, administrative, technological , and procedural developments. This has created a growing mismatch between the statutory framework and current realities, including population growth, inflation, the country’s present administrative regions, technological transformation, and changing judicial workloads. The outdated framework contributes to persistent court congestion and case backlogs. Judicial regions also no longer correspond to the country’s administrative regions, presenting coordination and court-management challenges, particularly following the establishment of the Office of the Regional Court Managers.

Against this background, IDLO seeks to engage a Judicial Reform Expert to support the Supreme Court, through the Committee on the Review and Reform of the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980, in conducting a multidisciplinary review of relevant legal, social, economic, institutional and technological literature. The review will provide an evidence base for proposed reforms.

The assignment will identify , synthesize and critically assess evidence on judicial reorganization and examine how court structures, jurisdictional arrangements, judicial capacity and administrative models affect efficiency, equality, accessibility and the quality of justice.

Under the supervision of the Senior Programme Advisor and in collaboration with the Field Programme Coordinator, the Judicial Reform Expert is expected to:

• Submit an Inception Report including research objectives and questions, methodology , scope of analysis, conceptual and analytical framework, and detailed workplan and timeline.
  • Conduct a structured desk review of legal, social , and economic literature relating to themes including but not limited to:
    • Philippine legislation, jurisprudence, rules and official policy documents;
      • Supreme Court publications and judicial administrative materials;
        • Philippine and international empirical studies;
          • C omparative studies o n efficient judicial mapping , jurisdiction , decentralization, court management , and other related themes ;
            • L iterature on access to justice, institutional or organizational design, legal technology and court performance.
              • Prepare a draft multi-disciplinary literature review report with preliminary findings and recommendation s for the proposed reform .
                • Present preliminary findings and recommendations with EU-GOJUST and other institutional partners , incorporate feedback, and submit the final report .

                  Throughout the implementation, the Judicial Re form E xpert is expected to integrate the EU-GOJUST's Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Framework, ensuring that the final output reflect s inclusive and equitable justice outcomes.

                  Job Requirements

                  Education

                • Advanced degree in L aw, Political Science , P ublic A dministration, G overnance, D evelopment S tudies, or other related disciplines .
                • Must be a member in good standing of the Philippine Bar.

                  Experience

                • A minimum of Five (5) years of relevan t ex peri ence in judicial reform, justice sector governance, legal or institutional reform, or public sector policy developmen t .
                • Demonstrated substantial experience in multidisciplinary legal or institutional research , including legal and policy analysis .
                • Strong understanding of judicial systems, court administration, and institutional reform, preferably within the Philippine justice sector