Supreme Court issues guidelines for Filipino Sign Language in judiciary
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has approved the official guidelines for Filipino Sign Language (FSL) interpreting in all courts, marking a major reform in ensuring accessible justice for d/Deaf Filipinos.
In a statement Monday, December 1, the high court said the new rules will apply to all judicial proceedings involving d/Deaf individuals “at any litigation stage,” guaranteeing their right to choose their preferred mode of communication.
Under the guidelines, “deaf” with the lowercase d refers to Filipinos with hearing loss who may or may not use sign language or identify with the Deaf community. “Deaf” with the uppercase D refers to those who use FSL.
How it will work
Courts must appoint accredited FSL interpreters or Deaf Relay Interpreters, who convert spoken language to FSL and vice versa.
DRIs, who are Deaf, bridge communication between linguistically isolated deaf persons and hearing non-signers.
"A linguistically isolated deaf person is a deaf with little or no exposure to sign language, resulting in limited communication skills. A hearing non-signer is a person who can hear but does not know or use sign language," the court said.
Accreditation and role of KWF. The Office of the Court Administrator must distribute an updated list of accredited interpreters annually.
Courts must refer d/Deaf parties or witnesses to the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino within three days for a Visual Communication Assessment for the Deaf if they appear not proficient in FSL.
The commission must submit the assessment report within 10 days.
If a d/Deaf individual is proficient in FSL, they may waive the assessment and the court will directly appoint an accredited interpreter.
Until the commission creates national standards, training and certification requirements will not yet be mandatory. Applicants may submit proof of interpreter training or at least three previous court appearances.
Interpreter qualifications
Applicants must:
- be Filipino citizens and residents
- be of legal age and of good moral character
- present valid KWF certification
- show proof of interpreter training or at least three court interpreting engagements
- have no conviction for crimes involving dishonesty
Accreditation is valid for three years. Renewal requires at least 24 hours of continuing education over the same period. The Court Administrator may revoke accreditation upon recommendation of the Filipino language commission.
Courts cannot appoint interpreters with personal, financial or professional ties to the d/Deaf party or witnesses. If the assigned interpreter faces a conflict of interest or is unavailable, the d/Deaf party may hire their own interpreter.
Protocols and measures
The rules prescribe proper physical positioning of interpreters, access to case records and mandatory video recording of d/Deaf testimonies.
Remote interpreting is allowed only when proceedings are brief and do not involve testimony, or when sensitive matters pose safety risks to the interpreter.
Face-to-face interpreting remains mandatory for complex proceedings, cases involving:
- d/Deaf children or multiple d/Deaf participants
- When equipment is impaired by noise or poor lighting
- When video conferencing is not feasible
The rules take effect Dec. 15, 2025, following publication in two major newspapers and on the Supreme Court website.
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