Instituting multiple cases; forum shopping, C2S23 CPRA

Section 23, Canon II SECTION 23. Instituting multiple cases; forum shopping. - A lawyer shall not knowingly engage or through gross negligence in forum shopping, which offends against the administration of justice, and is a falsehood foisted upon the court, tribunal, or other government agency. A lawyer shall not institute or advise the client to institute multiple cases to gain leverage in a case, to harass a party, to delay the proceedings, or to increase the cost of litigation. (2023 Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability or CPRA) 1. Instituting multiple cases; forum shopping a. No forum shopping Forum shopping is committed by a party who institutes two or more suits involving the same parties for the same cause of action, either simultaneously or successively, on the supposition that one or the other court would make a favorable disposition or increase a party's chances of obtaining a favorable decision or action.39 It is an act of malpractice that is prohibited and condemned because it trifles with the courts, abuses their processes, degrades the administration of justice, and adds to the already congested court dockets. (Heirs of Mampo v. Morada, G.R. No. 21456, November 03, 2020, Per Caguioa, J.) Forum shopping “offends against the administration of justice, and is a falsehood foisted upon the court, tribunal, or other government agency.” (CPRA, Section 23, Canon II) Whether knowingly or via gross negligence, lawyers are prohibited from engaging in foru...