By Celeste Tamayo
MANILA — Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan has been appointed as the 2026 Bar Chairperson.
The announcement was made by Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier during her lecture at the UST Chief Justice Andres Narvasa Lecture Series on February 15, 2025, at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Buenaventura Garcia Paredes OP Building.
In the same lecture, Lazaro-Javier also revealed that UST will serve as the national headquarters for the 2025 Bar Examinations, set for September 7, 10, and 14.
The 2025 Bar Exams will be held in local testing centers nationwide and will cover six core subjects over three days: Political and Public International Law and Commercial and Taxation Laws on September 7; Civil Law and Labor Law and Social Legislation on September 10; and Criminal Law and Remedial, Legal, and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises on September 14.
Additionally, Lazaro-Javier discussed the 2022 Guidelines on the Use of Gender-Fair Language in the Judiciary and Gender-Fair Courtroom Etiquette issued by the Supreme Court. The guidelines emphasize the use of appropriate language to avoid gender stereotypes and promote gender equality. As a result, the Supreme Court has called out judges, lawyers, and parties who fail to adhere to these gender-fair language standards.
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