Doctrine of Hierarchy of Courts

THE Doctrine of Hierarchy of Courts (or the Principle of Judicial Hierarchy) provides that when here, courts have concurrent or shared jurisdiction over the subject matter of a case, a litigant is not free to file a complaint or petition in any court of his or her choice but must observe a certain hierarchy.

In Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines v Department of Labor and Employment, 836 Phil. 205 promulgated on July 17, 2018, the Supreme Court stated that the doctrine of hierarchy of courts requires that recourse must first be obtained from lower courts sharing concurrent jurisdiction with a higher court. This is to ensure that the Supreme Court remains a court of last resort so as to satisfactorily perform the functions assigned to it by the fundamental charter and immemorial tradition.