Publication

This paper investigates a ruling reversal by the Philippine Supreme Court on a provision of the Mining Act of 1995 that permits foreign mining firms to operate in-country. In January 2004 the Court first ruled against the provision. Later in December 2004 it reversed its position. The author conducts a review of both rulings and examines the reversal with respect to factors that could affect judicial preferences. The author draws hypotheses in closing, but calls for further research to determine definitively the logic undergirding the Court's ruling reversal.