"B.M. No. 3781 (Re: Concept Paper on Proposed Bar Examination Reforms). - WHEREAS, the Supreme Court is granted the constitutional authority to promulgate rules concerning the admission to the practice of law;^[1]

WHEREAS, the Committee on Bar Examinations convenes every year, headed by a Justice of the Supreme Court and composed of bar examiners chosen by the Bar Chairperson;

WHEREAS, the Bar Chairperson, with the approval of the Court En Banc, may determine and establish new guidelines on the conduct of the Bar Examinations attune to the objectives of the Court;

WHEREAS, considering the governmental restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Court recently announced the postponement of the 2020 Bar Examinations to November 2021;^[2]

WHEREAS, as part of the preparations for the 2020/21 Bar Examinations, Bar Chairperson Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen submitted a concept paper to the Court En Banc proposing several innovations for a more equitable Bar Examinations;

WHEREAS, one of the proposals raised is increasing the number of bar examiners per subject;

WHEREAS, with the postponement of the 2020 Bar Examinations, it is anticipated that the number of bar examinees will increase, taking into account those who will graduate in 2021 and will take the bar in the same year;

WHEREAS, traditionally, only one (1) bar examiner is assigned per subject except in 2009, 2010, and 2019, where the Court appointed two (2) bar examiners per subject;

WHEREAS, with the expected increase in the number of examinees, one of the proposed solutions is the creation of a Committee of Bar Examiners for each bar subject which will maximize the efficiency of preparing the questions as well as the checking of the answers;

WHEREAS, the concept paper further proposed a comprehensive timeline to guide the Court and the Office of the Bar Chairperson to orderly administer the 2020/21 Bar Examinations;

NOW, WHEREFORE, acting on the recommendations of Associate Justice Marvic M.V. F. Leonen, this Court, sitting en banc NOTES the concept paper on the proposed Bar Examination reforms and APPROVES the following:

(a)	The proposed timeline of the Office of the Bar Chairperson with respect to the conduct of the 2020/21 Bar Examinations; and
(b)	The recommendation that the Committee of Bar Examiners be composed of three (3) examiners per bar subject."

Peralta, C.J., Perlas-Bernabe, Leonen, Caguioa, Gesmundo, Hernando, Carandang, Lazaro-Javier, Inting, Zalameda, Lopez, Delos Santos, and Gaerlan, JJ., concur.
Baltazar-Padilla, J., on leave.

^[2] Bar Bulletin No. 11, s. 2020; Bar Bulletin No. 13, s. 2020.