Remote hearings are here to stay. With the Supreme Court’s 2026 Guidelines on Videoconferencing, the judiciary has revamped and unified the rules governing virtual court proceedings expanding when and how videoconferencing can be used. Here’s what you need to know.
- Videoconference hearings now have the same legal effect as in‐court hearings. Anything issued during a virtual proceeding takes effect as if made inside the physical courtroom.
- Courts may authorize videoconferencing at any stage of a case.
- In criminal cases, the accused may appear remotely but must sign a written waiver if a witness testifies online. The accused may later request in‑person confrontation if the waiver was not freely or knowingly made.
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This bulletin was prepared by John Christian Joy A. Regalado, partner of the Firm and a member of SyCipLaw’s Litigation and Arbitration Department, with the assistance of Associates Francis Gabriel G. Muria and Alfonso Luigi Miguel P. Sallan.
For further information, please contact:
John Christian Joy A. Regalado, Partner, SyCipLaw
jcaregalado@syciplaw.com
