Dishonest judges threatened with tough action<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Chief Justice H.R. Soerjono, responding to
\nallegations that justice in Indonesia can be bought, promised
\nyesterday to punish any judge found in violation of the
\nprofession's code of ethics.<\/p>\n
Soerjono said that punishment would be based on the degree of
\ntheir violations which, in some cases, could result in expulsion
\nfrom the profession altogether.<\/p>\n
"Several judges have already been terminated from their posts
\nfor violating the code of ethics," he told reporters during the
\ninstallation ceremony of two new officials at the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
"Those who commit the most extreme violations will be expelled
\nfrom the court," he added. Soerjono declined to mention how many
\njudges have been punished or expelled so far.<\/p>\n
The latest criticisms against the courts of law, whose
\nintegrity and independence have been the subject of a national
\ndebate over the past month, came from the United Development
\nParty (PPP).<\/p>\n
PPP Chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, in reading the political
\nstatement at the party's 22nd anniversary reception on Thursday,
\nlashed out at the country's legal system. According to Ismail,
\njustice has become a "commercial commodity" that can be bought by
\nanyone with financial means.<\/p>\n
Ismail said the time has come for the nation to clean up the
\ncountry's courts of law and to restore the people's trust in the
\nlegal system.<\/p>\n
The courts have been attacked in recent months from within and
\nfrom outside parties. A retired justice last month said that many
\njudges have formed syndicates, popularly called the "court
\nmafia", that will fix the outcome of any trial for a hefty price.<\/p>\n
The polemic took on a new dimension after the government
\nannounced in November that it was awarding judges a 100 percent
\nsalary increase beginning in January in order to strengthen their
\nintegrity and professionalism. A higher salary, the government
\nargues, will spare judges from having to dwell on their welfare
\nand allow them to concentrate on their job of upholding justice.<\/p>\n
Soerjono said he took Ismail Hasan's statement as one man's
\nopinion and that it did not refer to any particular case or
\njudge.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that there were judges who might have sold
\nout, but stressed that the Supreme Court has done everything in
\nits power to prevent such occurrences.<\/p>\n
It is the Court's duty to oversee the judicial profession, he
\nsaid. "We will always try to prevent the law from being turned
\ninto a commercial commodity."<\/p>\n
Soerjono said the 100 percent increase, secured by his
\npredecessor Purwoto Gandasubrata before he left office last
\nOctober, would go a long way towards strengthening the dedication
\nof the nation's judges. "We expect a higher salary to improve the
\nprofessionalism and quality of our judges," he said.<\/p>\n
He said there would still be one or two judges who would
\nviolate the code of ethics after the salary increases, but feels
\nthat overall there are "more good judges than bad ones."<\/p>\n
"Eventually, it comes down to each individual judge," he said.<\/p>\n
The increase put the salary scale of judges on a higher level
\nthan any other civil servant, which is also one of the lowest
\npaid professions in Indonesia. But even after the increase, the
\nmost senior judge with 30 years of service receives a basic
\nsalary of just over Rp 1 million.<\/p>\n
The two Supreme Court officials installed by Soerjono
\nyesterday as deputy secretary general and deputy clerk were,
\nrespectively, Mangatas Nasution and Hensyah Syahlani.(imn)<\/p>",
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