A lawmaker from Cavite province has filed a bill seeking to increase the number of Court of Appeals (CA) justices from 69 to 78 to address the backlog of cases.

In a news release on Friday, Cavite 8th District Representative Aniela Tolentino said her House Bill No. 4033 also aims to provide more convenient access to appellate courts for litigants in different regions of the country.

“The proposed bill is crucial to expedite judicial processes and ensure that the rights of litigants are protected,” Tolentino said.

“We need to keep up with the changing times and make sure that our judiciary system can handle the increasing number of cases in an efficient and effective manner,” she added.

She said the economic progress, increase in population and growth of businesses in the country have led to a higher demand for a faster disposition of judicial cases.

She noted that the number of Court of Appeals justices has remained the same since 1996, despite the significant increase in the population of the Philippines.

Tolentino proposes to assign the new justices to new CAs divisions in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and Davao City. (PNA)

Photo credit: Court of Appeals Official Website