THE Supreme Court successfully concluded the 2026 Shari’ah Special Bar examinations, marking another important step in strengthening access to justice and affirming the place of Shari’ah law within the Philippine legal system.
The examinations were held on May 24 and May 27 under the leadership of Supreme Court Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting, chairman of the 2026 Shari’ah Special Bar examinations.
A total of 796 examinees completed the two-day examinations across four local testing centers: New Era University in Quezon City, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology and Ateneo de Davao University. Of the examinees, 529 were female and 267 were male.
This year’s examinations were administered in both English and Arabic, with 45 examinees opting to take the test in Arabic. The 2026 Shari’ah Bar also implemented an expanded and regionalized administration of the Arabic-language test, a reform aimed at making the examination more accessible to Arabic-proficient examinees across the country.
In his Chairman’s Report, Justice Inting emphasized that the Shari’ah Bar stands on equal footing with the regular Bar examinations, noting its distinct and essential role in the administration of justice. He underscored that the Shari’ah Bar deserves “deeper appreciation, greater institutional support and wider understanding” within the judiciary and the legal profession.
Justice Inting also paid tribute to the perseverance of the examinees, many of whom balanced work, family, travel and months of preparation to complete the examinations. He reminded them that the role of a Shari’ah counselor-at-law is not only a professional calling, but one anchored on integrity, humility, fairness, wisdom and compassion.