All roads led to Cebu City for the 2024 Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) and 2024 National Convention of the Philippine Women Judges Association (PWJA).

The opening of the three-day event on May 8, 2024 was highlighted by the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on judicial cooperation between the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, approved by the Court En Banc on April 3, 2024.

With the theme “WOMEN LEAD: Transforming Asia-Pacific and Changing the World,” the IAWJ and PWJA brought together esteemed women judges all over the Asia-Pacific Region to discuss future initiatives to make justice more accessible to all, particularly women and children, and exhibit first-hand the international collaboration between the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia as an example and inspiration to neighbors in the region.

Signed by Philippine Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo and Chief Justice William Alstergren AO of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, who joined online, the MOU focuses on enhancing the access to the family courts of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society, including women and children, developing women’s leadership opportunities in the family courts, and capacity-building initiatives on trafficking in persons and online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

The focus areas are in line with the Court’s blueprint of action for judicial reform, the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), especially the SPJI’s guiding principle on equal and inclusive justice and target outcome of Access. These are likewise consistent with Australia’s ongoing thrust to promote gender equality, disability, and social Inclusion or GEDSI.

In his message, Chief Justice Gesmundo described the MOU as “the latest addition to a long history of cooperation between our two governments and our judiciaries, a partnership that is borne not only of mutual pursuits and advocacies, but likewise anchored on mutual respect and support.”

The MOU is an initiative under the Fostering Advancement of Inclusive Rights-based (FAIR) Justice Program of the Australian Government, pursuant to the Strategic Partnership between Australia and the Republic of the Philippines.

Under the MOU, both Chief Justices shall endeavor to meet annually to advance the relationship between the parties, acknowledging that the implementation of projects and activities may involve a combination of Australian and Philippine expertise, in coordination with other justice sector agencies, the central socio-economic planning agency, and other relevant agencies as required or warranted.

Chief Justice Gesmundo added that the MOU “will usher in another chapter of cooperation as we continuously strive to improve our service to our people. In particular, our programs to upgrade the capacity of our Family Courts, from the judges to the prosecutors and public attorneys, up to the social workers and law enforcement agents, will be a critical part of this cooperation.”

Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, who is also the current PWJA President and IAWJ Vice-President, has high hopes for the MOU with its aim “of honing the skills of Family Court judges to become better equipped at protecting women, children, and families involved in intricate legal disputes.”

Chief Justice Gesmundo also delivered the keynote message at the IAWJ Conference and PWJA Convention, where he shared SPJI initiatives such as the adoption of the first-ever organic Guidelines on the Use of Gender-Fair Language in the Judiciary and Gender-Fair Courtroom Etiquette; the Study on Gender Mobility and Representation in the Philippine Judiciary, which looked at gender-disaggregated data over nearly 15 years to examine patterns of appointments across all court levels and identify barriers to women’s representation; and the Study on Feminism in Philippine Jurisprudence, which catalogued and reviewed 15 years’ worth of Supreme Court decisions across key issue areas to critically evaluate judicial reasoning and identify areas that need deeper understanding and correction to overcome biases, inequalities, and discrimination.

At present, the Court is monitoring women’s correctional facilities to gather valuable input in crafting the first ever Manual for Handling Women in Conflict with the Law.

Day 1 of the 2024 Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference of the IAWJ and 2024 National Convention of the PWJA was filled with knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas from legal experts both in the local and international judicial scene.

The welcome remarks were delivered by Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, who is also the PWJA Executive Vice President and an IAWJ Regional Director, and New Zealand District Court Judge Nicola Mathers, also an IAWJ Asia and the Pacific Region Regional Director.

Justice Singh said that the work that the Philippine Judiciary has made “will have lasting impact for the feminist cause. Through our steadfast commitment to fairness, justice, and equal rights, the judiciary stands poised to establish significant precedents and influence societal perspectives on gender equality.” 

Justice Lazaro-Javier, on the other hand, shared her belief that “that through greater cross-border collaborations, we are able to gain insights into the effective practices of each nation and are able to uplift each other towards attaining gender equality. Together, we shall rise for there is nothing stronger than a group of women bonded by the same cause.”

Other speakers at the event were Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HE Hae Kyong (HK) Yu PSM, FCPA; Federal Court of Australia Chief Justice Debra Sue Mortimer (online); IAWJ Executive Director Ms. Christie R. Jones; Court of Appeals Associate Justices and PWJA Vice-Presidents Tita Marilyn Payoyo-Villordon and Ma. Belen Ringpis-Liban; Federal Court of Malaysia Justice Dato’ Zabariah binti Mohd Yusof, acting as representative of Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat; and World Bank Group Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel Christopher Stephens.

There was also a discussion on “Initiatives of Women Judges towards Gender Parity at All Levels of the Judiciary” with Judge Maria Zoraida Zabat-Tuazon as moderator and speakers Justice Suntariya Muanpawong of the Supreme Court of Thailand; Justice B.V. Nagarathna of the Supreme Court of India; CA Associate Justice Angelene Mary W. Quimpo-Sale; and Justice Niava Mata Tuatagaloa of the Supreme Court of Samoa.

Another discussion was held on “Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration of Women Prisoners and Offenders, and Alternatives to Imprisonment for Women Offenders,” with New Zealand District Court Judge Mathers as moderator, and speakers Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Ana Teresa T. Cornejo-Tomacruz; Commission on Human Rights-Philippines Commissioner Faydah M. Dumarpa; Australia’s Griffith University Senior Lecturer Dr. Samantha Jeffries; Thailand Institute of Justice Executive Director Dr. Phiset Sa-Ardyen; and Dhaka, Bangladesh Additional District Judge Lubna Zahan. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)