SC exec to justices, judges: Be models in your profession

Newly appointed Supreme Court administrator Christopher Lock challenged yesterday the members of the judiciary to become "models to be emulated" in their legal profession.

Lock spoke before the Cebu judges and members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines who honored him with a luncheon at the City Sports Club for being the first Cebuano to be appointed as Supreme Court administrator.

"You hold the great power in the society as judges and lawyers. And with it is the corresponding responsibility that you contribute to the society which is to uphold the law to preserve social order," Lock told the justices, judges and lawyers.

With a main task "to cleanse the judiciary of graft and corruption," Lock believed that the members of the judiciary should be "instruments for lasting peace and development."

To attain such goal, Lock said he is studying to introduce the profiling of judges by collecting data from lawyers about what they know of their trial court judges.

This program was already practiced in Cebu City in 1993 to 1995 but some judges had expressed opposition to it, citing that some losing litigants who would be unfair to them.

But Lock admitted such task might have "adverse affect" to the judges, especially on the performance of their duty, since this might create conflict among them and the litigants.

At this stage, he said they are still conceptualizing whether to adapt the program because it also gained support from other judges.

Meanwhile, Lock said his administration is helping judges with his "judiciary remedy" program as administrative cases against judges are "destructive" to their work because they would be concentrating on their cases instead of handling cases filed at their sala.

"Not all errors committed by the judge are sanctionable," he said.

The former Supreme Court deputy administrator thanked his fellow Cebuanos for giving him the "best homecoming I've ever had."

Lock is an alumnus of the University of San Carlos where he finished his accountancy course. He took up law at the Far Eastern University. - Liv G. Campo