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MANILA, Philippines—Justices of the Supreme Court can now practice law after when they retire.
This after the high tribunal lifted the suspension on law practice of retired justices primarily for “humanitarian reasons.”
“SC lifts suspension on law practice previously imposed on retired Supreme Court Justice Ruben Reyes for, among others humanitarian reasons,” high court’s information chief Theodore Te said Thursday.
Reyes was meted with an indefinite suspension as a member of the Bar in 2009 for leaking an unpromulgated decision involving questions on the citizenship of Negros Oriental Representative Jocelyn Limkaichong.
However, while Reyes could go back to private law practice, he remains disqualified from entering public service and barred from teaching law.
The high court found Reyes guilty of grave misconduct on February 24, 2009 for leaking his draft decision that would have unseated Limkaichong on the ground that she was a Chinese citizen.
Reyes, the high court said, violated Rles 1.01 and 1.02 of Canon 1 of the Code of Professional Responsibility.
Reyes was among the members of the Bar sanctioned by the high court. Aside from Reyes, retired Supreme Court Justice Fidel Purisima was censured for failure to disclose that his nephew took the 1999 Bar Examination.
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