The Supreme Court (SC) has begun the process of establishing the Shari’ah High Court, the highest judicial body under the Shari’ah legal system in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

In a resolution penned by Associate Justice Japar Dima-ampao, the Supreme Court En Banc tasked the Office of the Court Administrator and the Fiscal and Budget Management Office to prepare and submit the necessary budget and staffing plan to ensure the Shari’ah High Court becomes fully operational in the next fiscal year.

This move follows a formal request from the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) for the immediate organization of the Shari’ah High Court, highlighting the urgent need to implement the provisions of Republic Act No. 11054, which governs the Shari’ah justice system in the BARMM.

The SC explained that under Republic Act No. 12233, also known as the Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act, it has the authority to "propose budgets and staffing patterns for the operations of the Philippine judiciary", including Shari’ah Circuit Courts, Shari’ah District Courts, and the Shari’ah High Court.

“The SC also affirmed its commitment to give life to the law’s vision of dispensing justice consistent with the unique cultural and historical heritage of the Bangsamoro,” it added.