On March 26 and 27, 2025, Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh led the final writeshop for the 2025 Code of Judicial Conduct and Accountability (CJCA/Code) for the Philippine Judiciary.  The writeshop is the final stage of drafting before the Code is presented to the SC En Banc for review.

The CJCA is a product of the broader campaign for ethical responsibility outlined in the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, specifically under the target outcome of Efficiency. The CJCA is the cornerstone of the Integrity Initiative of Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, who, upon his assumption as the 27th Chief Justice of the Republic of the Philippines, swore to make integrity a pillar of his tenure, and the constitutional requirements of competence, integrity, probity, and independence, the hallmark of every court in the country.

The final writeshop incorporated clarifications, changes, and suggestions based on discussions during the 2024 National Ethics Caravan, which took place in Lipa, Davao, Bacolod, General Santos City, and Manila.  In addition to these revisions, the CJCA includes new rules on the use of gender-fair language, conduct on social media, and the prohibition against judges accepting gifts, among other updated provisions. Upon the approval of the SC En Banc and with the support of the European Union through the Governance in Justice (GOJUST) II Programme, the CJCA and Code of Conduct for Court Personnel (CCCP) will be formally launched and rolled out by mid-2025.

The SC Sub-Committee for the Review of the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel and the Sub-Committee for the Review of the New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary are led by Justice Singh as Chairperson. (Press release courtesy of the Office of Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh)