Lawyer's Mumbo Jumbo: Writ of Amparo

We are not lawyers ... but we need to understand their lexicon (lawyers always have their own lingo only they can understand. Same with doctors, nurses, and engineers) 

We spend our waking hours on YouTube and we are always exposed to hearings and debates ... and also their private conversations ... and all we do is scratch our heads because they are using legal terminologies that sound too foreign and alien to our virgin ears ... and our mind wonders what are they talking about.

Let's start decoding and decrypting these words and phrases (it is irreverent for us to enter the sanctum of the in ... but desperate times need desperate measures) so the next time they use these terms again ... we are on the same page with them.  Not in limbo.

We will try to dissect and define them in simpler language so ordinary mortals and laymen (the amateur and the non-experts) can actively participate in the discussion ... and at the same time broaden their legal and paralegal stock knowledge,

So our word or phrase that is hitting the headlines today is: writ of Amparo

1. PHRASE: Writ of Amparo

2. MEANING: Amparo sounds like a person's name or a family name. It is a Spanish word that means sanctuary, refuge, or asylum. In a broader sense, it is a shelter for safety ... and in the context of the news today like in Harry Roque's case ... it is a protection.

When somebody is given a writ of amparo ... it is a legal remedy and safety cushion given to any person whose life is at risk, or to any person whose securities are threatened and his freedom is jeopardized by oppressive restrictions from authorities, police, or the government. 

The petition may be filed on any day and at any time with the Regional Trial Court of the place where the threat occurred, or with the Sandiganbayan, the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court, or any justice of such courts.

3. EXAMPLE: 

-Harry Roque on Monday asked the Supreme Court (SC) for a writ of amparo against his arrest in the wake of an order from the quad committees ...

-The daughter of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has filed a petition for the writ of amparo before the Supreme Court against the House of Representatives Quad Committee and its ongoing probe on illegal operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs)

-In January 2008, ABS CBN news personnel filed the writ of amparo petition with the Supreme Court, which accordingly ordered the government to comment on the petition for protection from harassment and threats of arrest.