Case Digest

The Court revisited the purpose of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and examined whether age at the time of judgment should outweigh age at the time the offense was committed..

As a general rule, a marriage solemnized by an unauthorized officiant is void. However, the Court held that under Article 35(2) of the Family Code, the marriage remains valid if one or both of the participating parties believe in good faith, and it is with this belief that grants the solemnising officer the authority. Hence, the marriage continues to have full legal effect, and even with the lack of legal capacity by the officiating person, the marriage should not be declared void.

Mercury Drug and Ganzon were grossly negligent in dispensing ear drops instead of eye drops. In the purchase and sale of drugs, there is an imperative duty on the druggist to take precautions to prevent death/injury to any person who relies on one’s absolute honesty and peculiar learning.

The Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC) has the authority to determine who should receive the judgment award it granted to a corporation that has already been dissolved.

The act of preventing an employee from reporting to work is considered dismissal, and the lack of just or authorized cause and procedural due process makes it illegal.

The Supreme Court tackled whether an accused extraditee can post bail, balancing personal liberty against international justice. The ruling sets the rules for when temporary release is allowed even before facing trial in another country.

When does illness become a legal ground for dismissal?
An overseas worker was repatriated after experiencing heart problems, but was his termination valid under the law? The Supreme Court weighed in on what counts as a disease serious enough to end employment and the rules employers must follow.

When does police instinct cross the line?
In this case, police officers stopped and searched a man in Tondo after observing what they believed to be “suspicious movements.” The encounter led to the discovery of a firearm—but the bigger legal question was whether the arrest and search were valid from the start.

The Supreme Court ruled that an SPA automatically ends when the principal dies. Any act done after that is void—unless the agent acted in good faith without knowing of the death. Since Jessica knew her father had passed, the mortgage couldn’t bind his estate or her mother.

Disputes involving refund or delivery of condo units fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the HSAC (formerly HLURB), pursuant to PD 957 and PD 1344.