The SAMAHAN Student Court (SSC) has ordered the Samahan ng Mga Mag-aaral ng Pamantasang Ateneo (SAMAHAN) to publish their amended constitution following a ruling that found the student government in violation of its constitutional duties.
The court’s decision came after it denied the current SAMAHAN administration’s motion to dismiss the case concerning the non-dissemination of the amended constitution, which was ratified last February 2, 2023, with 97.36% votes from the student body.
In its ruling, the Student Court emphasized the administration’s responsibility to ensure transparency and accessibility of governing documents to the student body.
“The issue at the heart of this case is if this current present administration is accountable to the actions of the former administration… it does not satisfy the argument as to why the present administration should not be accountable,” the Court’s official case decision read.
The SAMAHAN administration had argued that the dissemination responsibility lay with the former Chief Justice, a claim the court found unsubstantiated as such responsibilities fall beyond the scope of the Chief Justice’s duties, even if they were part of the Constitutional Convention.
Further, SAMAHAN contended that the amended version was included in the 2024 Student Handbook.
However, the court’s investigation revealed the absence of the amendment date and the presence of outdated terms in the handbook’s version.
Consequently, the Court found the current SAMAHAN administration guilty of violating Article XI, Section 6, of the SAMAHAN Constitution.
“To say that the Amended Constitution of the SAMAHAN is of public nature needs no debate. It is in our opinion that the present SAMAHAN Administration has not done their duty in informing the studentry about the Amended Constitution; which is a great dereliction of duty.”
In addition to ordering the publication of the amended constitution in the SAMAHAN Gazette and Atenews, the University’s official student publication, the SSC also ordered the SAMAHAN to provide a copy to the Office of Student Affairs (OSA).
The case was promulgated last April 8, 2025.
SAMAHAN Student Court
The SAMAHAN Student Court is the Supreme Constitutional Court of the SAMAHAN and serves as its judicial branch, overseeing constitutional adherence, impeachment proceedings, and addressing legal concerns within the student government.
The Student Court was established last 2022 and has been dormant until recently. The court aims to uphold justice, fairness, and accountability in student governance.
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