System of Justice of Criminal Case during the Pandemic in Catanauan, Quezon: An Analysis

The coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the way the criminal justice system is practiced including very limited face-to-face proceedings. Those changes are not yet evaluated for their effectiveness and their impact in the case of another pandemic in the Philippines. Thus, this study aimed to anaylze the system of justice of criminal case during the pandemic. This was conducted using survey with the participants from justice-giving body and the police to assess that gap. The respondents of the study were twenty (20) members of the Regional Trial Court of Catanauan, Quezon, which are assigned in the town of Catanauan, Quezon. In particular, the research would like to suggest to improve the challenges in the status quo brought about by the limited face-to-face prosecutions while assessing common and new challenges faced by the RTC in applying timely justice. This study recommends to improve public policy in criminal justice with the use of technology.