Short answer. Yes. The Supreme Court may require or allow additional pleadings, briefs, memoranda, or documents within periods and conditions it sets, whether deciding to dismiss the petition or after it has already given the petition due course, and may impose sanctions for non-filing or non-compliance.

What the law says

the Supreme Court may require or allow the filing of such pleadings, briefs, memoranda or documents as it may deem necessary within such periods and under such conditions as it may consider appropriate, and impose the corresponding sanctions in case of non-filing or unauthorized filing of such pleadings and documents or non-compliance with the conditions therefor.

Rule 45, Section 7 — Pleadings and documents that may be required; sanctions. Read the full provision →

A broad power to request more from the parties

Section 7 gives the Supreme Court considerable latitude in managing a Rule 45 petition at either the screening stage or after due course. It may require or allow the filing of such pleadings, briefs, memoranda or documents as it may deem necessary within such periods and under such conditions as it may consider appropriate. The provision does not list specific categories of documents, leaving that judgment to the Court based on what a particular petition needs.

The conditions the court sets are not optional

Whatever periods and conditions the Court fixes for these additional filings carry real consequences for failing to meet them. The same section authorizes the Court to impose the corresponding sanctions in case of non-filing or unauthorized filing of such pleadings and documents or non-compliance with the conditions therefor. Filing something the Court did not ask for, outside the conditions it set, can be treated the same as not filing at all when it comes to these sanctions.

Why petitioners and respondents should stay responsive

Because this power can be exercised both while the Court is still deciding whether to dismiss or deny the petition and after it has been given due course, a party should treat any Supreme Court order calling for a pleading, document, or memorandum as carrying real weight — ignoring it risks sanctions on top of whatever is already at stake in the underlying petition.

This provision covers the whole life of the petition

Section 7 is not limited to the initial screening the Court does before deciding whether the petition deserves due course; its own wording covers requests made both before that decision and afterward, once the petition is being considered on the merits. That breadth means a party cannot assume the risk of sanctionable non-compliance ends once due course has been given — the Court retains the same authority to demand more from either side for as long as the petition remains pending before it.

Related provisions

Note. Statute text quoted on this page is reproduced from the official enactment and is linked to the full provision. The explanation around it is general legal information from Vivas & Nobles Law Office, not legal advice. Whether it applies to your situation depends on facts only a lawyer reviewing them can assess.