On its 70th founding anniversary, the Ateneo Law Journal, in partnership with the Joaquin Bernas Center Student Corps, honors the life of Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J., a renowned Jesuit and legal luminary whose intellectual gravitas remains unparalleled. Through this Special Issue released on the birth anniversary of Fr. Bernas, the Journal seeks to commemorate his legacy in the legal field and beyond.

Born on 8 July 1932, Fr. Bernas wore different hats throughout his remarkable life. While he is best known as one of the framers of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, his legacy lives on through the seeds he planted as an educator and esteemed legal scholar. In addition, he is revered for his oft-cited commentaries and admired for his unwavering passion for social justice. A beloved friend to the courts and the legal community, Fr. Bernas’ strong sense of truth and justice has undoubtedly helped guide the bench and the bar in deciding matters of utmost importance.

Thus, with the theme “The First Among Equals: A Tribute to Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J.”, this Special Issue devotes six Articles that explore the celebrated constitutionalist's public and private life. Articles like Dean Cesar L. Villanueva’s “A Glimpse of the Man: Father Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J.” contains various personal anecdotes that chronicle Fr. Bernas’ impact within and beyond the Ateneo community. Also included in the Issue is the Article “Freedom in the Crucible of Trial” by Dean Jose Maria G. Hofileña, which reassesses the decision in Pimentel v. Legal Education Board and posits the position Fr. Bernas would have taken with respect to the Court’s decision. The anthology also includes the Article “Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J.: The Teacher Within” by Dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria and Joseph Mari Z. Capeding, which delves into the factual backdrop behind the events that triggered various jurisprudential test litigations.

The other Articles in the Special Issue touch on issues close to Fr. Bernas, such as environmental preservation and religious freedom. As such, the Article “On the Shoulders of a Legal Giant: Father Bernas and Philippine Environmental Law,” by Atty. Gregorio Rafael P. Bueta discusses Fr. Bernas’ contributions to the new frontiers of environmental law. Meanwhile, commentaries by Fr. Bernas on religious freedom and doctrine of informed conscience vis-a-vis the Reproductive Health Bill were respectively discussed in Atty. Eugene T. Kaw’s “The Mustard Seed and the Rule of Law: The Constitutional Gospel on the Church and State According to Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J.,” and in Fr. Ismael Jose III V. Chan-Gonzaga, S.J.’s “A Personal Appreciation of Fr. Bernas, Priest & Lawyer.”

This Issue also pays homage to Fr. Bernas by including several Messages from esteemed individuals, including Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr., Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna, and Fr. Roberto C. Yap, S.J., for he was undoubtedly more than a great legal mind to the Ateneo community. He was a teacher who inspired not only students beyond the four walls of the classroom, but also his colleagues. To his friends and family, Fr. Bernas, or Quining, as he is fondly called, was a caring, jovial, and inspiring man who loved to eat, laugh, and share stories. Through these Articles and Messages, readers will catch a glimpse into the person at the core of all the acclaim and realize that Fr. Bernas was, most of all, a man for others.

Click the link below to access the Journal’s Special issue: https://bit.ly/3yws5FE.