By: Atty. Gregorio B. Austral, CPA
Disruption of a time-honored tradition
The signing in the Roll of Attorneys at the Supreme Court is not just a time-honored tradition that symbolizes a royal entrance to a noble profession but is also a pre-requisite before one can practice law. It is a common misconception that passing the bar examinations and taking the lawyer’s oath already entitle a person to the privilege of practicing. In Aguirre vs. Rana, the Supreme Court said that it is the signing in the Roll of Attorneys that finally makes one a full-fledged lawyer. The fact that one passed the bar examinations is immaterial. Passing the bar is not the only qualification to become an attorney-at-law. Two essential requisites for becoming a lawyer still had to be performed, namely: his lawyer’s oath to be administered by the Supreme Court and his signature in the Roll of Attorneys.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted almost everything in our lives. The traditional taking of the lawyer’s oath by the successful 2019 bar examinees and the supposedly the subsequent signing in the Roll of Attorneys are among the activities that encountered disruption. It is good to hear that the Supreme Court has responded to the disruption in some creative ways. Due to strict prohibition of mass gathering, the oathtaking of successful examinees was done virtually through modern teleconferencing technology. We had the first ever online oathtaking ceremony of the 2019 bar passers.
In another creative way, the Supreme Court approved the proposed alternative roll signing procedure in order to cater to the needs of bar passers who are unable to travel to Manila to sign the Roll of Attorneys. Under Bar Matter No. 3489, the 2019 bar passers who have chosen to avail of the alternative roll signing procedure will submit, via postal or courier service, certain documentary requirements, including a notarized undertaking to physically sign the Roll of Attorneys and register their biometric information at the Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC) located in the Supreme Court premises in Manila on or before December 31, 2020, unless such period is extended by the OBC due to public considerations.
The 2019 bar passers shall pay their bar admission and certification fees via postal money order or deposit to a designated bank account to be used exclusively for the payment of bar-related fees. Upon receipt of the complete documentary requirements, the OBC shall append such documents to the actual Roll of Attorney for record keeping purposes and issue their certificates of membership to the Philippine Bar. With the issuance of the certificate, the bar passer can start practicing his law profession.