Philippine Judiciary and Federal Court of Australia Delegates Conclude Knowledge Exchange with In-Depth Dialogues on Native Titles, Admiralty Law

September 29, 2025

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On September 24 and 25, 2025, the Supreme Court (SC) and the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) held the Philippine Judiciary Knowledge Exchange with the Federal Court of Australia (FCA) delegation at The Judicial Academy Philippines in Tagaytay City, Cavite.

Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, SC Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, and FCA Chief Justice Debra Sue Mortimer led the Knowledge Exchange. Joining Chief Justice Mortimer were FCA Justices Stephen Burley, Sarah Derrington, and Thomas Thawley; and FCA court officials Mr. Paul Farrell, Senior National Judicial Registrar and District Registrar; Mr. Jimmy Mastorakos, Executive Director for Corporate Strategy & Programs; Mr. Nathan Price, Acting Chief Information and Digital Officer; and Mr. Martin Clutterbuck, International Programs Manager.

Among the topics discussed were emerging issues and developments on class actions and intellectual property law in the Philippines and Australia, legal frameworks on native title in both countries, and admiralty law.

Also in attendance were SC Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, PHILJA Chancellor and retired SC Associate Justice Rosmari D. Carandang, PHILJA Vice-Chancellor and retired SC Associate Justice Edgardo L. De Los Santos, Australian Embassy to the Philippines First Secretary for Development Sarah Spencer, select Philippine Court of Appeals Associate Justices, PHILJA and court officials, and trial court judges. 

Supreme Court (SC) Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen (fifth from right) and SC Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh (fourth from right), join Federal Court of Australia (FCA) Chief Justice Debra Sue Mortimer (sixth from right) and fellow FCA delegates during the second day of the Knowledge Exchange held on September 25, 2025 at The Judiciary Academy of the Philippines Auditorium in Tagaytay City, Cavite. Accompanying Chief Justice Mortimer are (from left) International Programs Manager Martin Clutterbuck; Senior National Judicial Registrar Paul Farrell; Executive Director for Corporate Strategy & Programs Jimmy Mastorakos; Acting Chief Information and Digital Officer Nathan Price; and FCA Justices Stephen Burley, Thomas Michael Thawley, and Sarah Derrington. Also in the photo are Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria (second from right), Chief of the Research, Publications, and Linkages Office of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA); and Professor Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu, Chair of the PHILJA Constitutional Law Department (rightmost). The two-day Knowledge Exchange is part of the FCA’s week-long study visit in the Philippines, under the 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between the SC and the FCA to strengthen judicial cooperation. (Photo courtesy of the SC Communications Office) 

Federal Court of Australia (FCA) Chief Justice Debra Sue Mortimer (second from right) and Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria (rightmost), Chief of the Research, Publications, and Linkages Office of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), presented the respective legal frameworks on native title in Australia and the Philippines during the second day of the Philippine Judiciary Knowledge Exchange with the FCA, held on September 25, 2025 at The Judiciary Academy of the Philippines Auditorium in Tagaytay City, Cavite. With them are Supreme Court (SC) Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen (second from left) and Professor Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu (leftmost), Chair of the PHILJA Constitutional Law Department, who shared their insights in response to the presentations. (Photo courtesy of the SC Communications Office)   

Federal Court of Australia (FCA) Justice Sarah Derrington (center); Judge Virgilio V. Macaraig of Branch 37, Regional Trial Court, Manila City; and Atty. Lee Edson P. Yarcia, Senior Lecturer at the University of the Philippines College of Law, shared their expertise on admiralty law during the second day of the Philippine Judiciary Knowledge Exchange with the FCA, held on September 25, 2025 at The Judiciary Academy of the Philippines Auditorium in Tagaytay City, Cavite. Justice Derrington presented the current state, rules, and practices of admiralty law in Australia, while Judge Macaraig discussed the Philippine admiralty framework. Atty. Yarcia provided a comparative synthesis of admiralty law in both jurisdictions. (Photo courtesy of the Supreme Court Communications Office)    

Philippine Supreme Court (SC) Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen (first row, fourth from left), SC Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh (first row, fourth from right) and Federal Court of Australia (FCA) Chief Justice Debra Sue Mortimer (first row, center) lead the second day of the Philippine Judiciary Knowledge Exchange with the FCA, held on September 25, 2025 at The Judiciary Academy of the Philippines Auditorium in Tagaytay City, Cavite. Delegates from the FCA accompanying Chief Justice Mortimer are (first row, third from left) Justices Stephen Burley, Sarah Derrington, and Thomas Michael Thawley; (second row, ninth from left) Acting Chief Information and Digital Officer Nathan Price, Executive Director for Corporate Strategy & Programs Jimmy Mastorakos, Senior National Judicial Registrar Paul Farrell, and International Programs Manager Martin Clutterbuck. Also in the photo are (first row, from left) Professor Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu, Chair of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) Constitutional Law Department; PHILJA Vice Chancellor and retired SC Associate Justice Edgardo L. Delos Santos; FAIR Justice Program Team Leader Atty. Ray Paolo J. Santiago (first row, right most); Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, PHILJA Chief of the Research, Publications, and Linkages Office (second row, seventh from left); and Dean Emerito I. Enginco, PHILJA Chief of the Academic Affairs Office (second row, eight from left). Select Court officials, Philippine Court of Appeals Associate Justices, trial court judges, and SC lawyers were also in attendance. (Photo courtesy of the SC Communications Office)   

Philippine Judicial Academy Vice Chancellor and retired Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Edgardo L. De Los Santos delivers the closing remarks during the second day of the Philippine Judiciary Knowledge Exchange with the Federal Court of Australia (FCA), held on September 25, 2025, at The Judiciary Academy of the Philippines Auditorium in Tagaytay City, Cavite. (Photo courtesy of the SC Communications Office)   

Philippine Supreme Court (SC) Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen (first row, fifth from left) and Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh (first row, third from left) pose with the delegates from the Federal Court of Australia (FCA), led by Chief Justice Debra Sue Mortimer (first row, fourth from right), before the façade of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) Training Center in Tagaytay City, Cavite on September 25, 2025. Joining Chief Justice Mortimer are (first row, from right) FCA Justices Thomas Michael Thawley, Stephen Burley, and Sarah Derrington; (second row, from left) Senior National Judicial Registrar Paul Farrell, International Programs Manager Martin Clutterbuck, Executive Director for Corporate Strategy & Programs Jimmy Mastorakos and Acting Chief Information and Digital Officer Nathan Price. With them are SC Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez (first row, fourth from left); PHILJA Vice Chancellor and retired SC Associate Justice Edgardo L. Delos Santos (first row, second from left); and Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria, PHILJA Chief of the Research, Publications, and Linkages Office (first row, leftmost). (Photo courtesy of the SC Communications Office)