The Supreme Court (SC) announced Tuesday that the results of the 2009 Bar examinations will be released this coming Friday, March 26.

It also announced its approval of the proposition allowing Filipino graduates of foreign law schools to take the Philippine Bar exams, but subject to certain conditions.

Court Administrator and SC Spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the High Court approved the proposal of veteran lawyer Estelito Mendoza to amend Sections 5 and 6 of Rule 138 of the Rules of Court.

The amended version provides that a Filipino citizen who graduated from a foreign law school shall be admitted to the Bar exams only upon submission to the High Court of certifications showing:

• Completion of all courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Laws or its equivalent degree;
• Recognition or accreditation of the law school by the proper authority;
• Completion of all fourth year subjects in the Bachelor of Laws academic program in a law school duly recognized by the Philippine government.

Meanwhile, Marquez said the SC will conduct a special full court session Friday morning to deliberate on the passing percentage in last year’s Bar examinations.

Marquez said Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura, the chairperson of the 2009 Committee on Bar Examinations, will be presenting the results of last year’s Bar exams to the SC en banc.

He added: “The justices will then deliberate on the presentation and decide on the final outcome of the bar results, give order to decode (the exam booklets) and thereafter order the release of the results.

Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant Ma. Cristina Layusa said a total of 5,903 law graduates from 109 law schools nationwide finished the exams held on September 6, 13, and 20, and October 4, 2009 at the De La Salle University on Taft Avenue, Manila.

The Bar exams are traditionally held in four consecutive Sundays of September but the SC had to reset to October 4, 2009 the last exam week due to the widespread flooding brought about by Typhoon Ondoy.

It was the first time since 1901 that the Bar had two examiners for each of the eight subjects. Each subject was divided into two parts and was handled by two different examiners.

Under the Rules of Court, “a candidate may be deemed to have passed his examination successfully if he has obtained a general average of 75 percent in all subjects without falling below 50 percent in any subject.”

In determining the average, subjects in the examinations are given the following relative weights: Political and International Law, 15 percent; Labor and Social Legislation, 10 percent; Civil Law, 15 percent; Taxation, 10 percent; Mercantile Law, 15 percent; Criminal Law, 10 percent; Remedial Law, 20 percent; and Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises, 5 percent, for a total of 100 percent.