MTC judge fined for using court as house for 7 years

Courtrooms cannot be used for residential or commercial purposes. The Supreme Court’s First Division stressed this in a recent ruling as it fined a judge in Palawan for using her sala as her house in the past seven years.

Evelyn Cañete of the Brookes’s Point-Sofronio Española-Bataraza Municipal Circuit Trial Court was ordered to pay a fine of P11,000 after she was found guilty of violating Administrative Circular 3-92 issued by the high tribunal.

SOURCES: 

Philippine Star. https://www.facebook.com/PhilippineSTAR

Philstar.com. https://www.facebook.com/philstarnews

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/11/04/1865615/qVAiBjY6G3DQxywK.99
Palawan judge fined for using court as residence. Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star) - November 4, 2018 - 12:00am. Read more at https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/11/04/1865615/palawan-judge-fined-using-court-residence

ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 3-92 August 31, 1992

TO: ALL JUDGES AND COURT PERSONNEL; SUBJECT: PROHIBITION AGAINST USE OF HALLS OF JUSTICE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PURPOSES

All judges and court personnel are hereby reminded that the Halls of Justice maybe used only for purposes directly related to the functioning and operation of the courts of justice, and may not be devoted to any other use, list of all as residential quarters of the judges or court personnel, or for carrying on therein any trade or profession.
Attention is drawn to A.M. No. RTJ-89-327 (Nelly Kelly Austria vs. Judge Singuat Guerra), a case involving an authorized and improper use of the court's premises for dwelling purposes by respondent and his family, in which the Court, by Resolution dated October 17, 1991, found respondent Judge guilty of irresponsible and improper conduct prejudicial to the efficient administration of justice and best interest of the service and imposed on him the penalty of SEVERE CENSURE, the Court declaring that such use of the court's premises inevitably degrades the honor and dignity of the court in addition to exposing judicial records to danger of loss or damage.