Government submits 22 candidates for justices<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government submitted to the House of
\nRepresentatives on Wednesday 22 names, including 10 people who
\nare not serving as judges, to fill 19 vacancies in the Supreme
\nCourt, including the post of the chief justice.<\/p>\n
The list includes Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, a highly respected
\nformer judge who currently serves on the National Commission on
\nHuman Rights. President Abdurrahman Wahid has publicly called for
\nthe appointment of Benjamin as chief justice.<\/p>\n
Many judges have opposed Benjamin's nomination, saying that
\nthose serving on the Supreme Court must be recruited from career
\njudges. The Supreme Court early this month submitted its own list
\nof 24 nominations, all drawn from existing judges.<\/p>\n
After submitting the list, Minister of Law and Legislation
\nYusril Ihza Mahendra said the law empowered the government to
\npropose non-career judges for Supreme Court positions under
\n\"particular circumstances.\"<\/p>\n
Citing the 1985 law on the Supreme Court, he said the only
\nprofessional requirement for a justice is that he or she must
\nhave at least 15 years of experience in the legal profession.<\/p>\n
\"The law does not specify what constitutes `particular
\ncircumstances',\" Yusril said after meeting with House Speaker
\nAkbar Tandjung.<\/p>\n
The law also has a clause stipulating that nominees for the
\nSupreme Court must be career judges who have served a minimum of
\n10 years as a provincial judge, or five years as chief of a
\nprovincial court. This is the clause used by Supreme Court
\nmembers when opposing Benjamin's nomination.<\/p>\n
Besides the Supreme Court and the government, the Ministry of
\nReligious Affairs has also submitted seven names to be considered
\nfor the Supreme Court positions.<\/p>\n
The government's list includes Bagir Manan, a member of the
\nnewly established National Ombudsman Council.<\/p>\n
Other non-career judges proposed are: law professors E.
\nSaefullah Wiradipradja and Valerine JL Kriekhoff, law lecturers
\nAbdul Mukhtie Fadjar, Artidjo Alkostar, Muhammad Laica Marzuki,
\nRifyal Ka'bah, Ronggur Hutagalung, and public notary Abdul Rahman
\nSaleh.<\/p>\n
The 12 career judges proposed are Moch. Ali Budiarto, Abdul
\nKadir Mappong, Ben Suhanda Syah, Chairani A. Wani, Eddy Djunaedi
\nK., Edith Dumasi Tobing Nababan, Erna Sofwan Sjukrie, Maruarar
\nSiahaan, Tamroekmi Chanijoen, Sakir Ardiwinata, Said Harahap and
\nM.S. Lumme.<\/p>\n
Former justice minister Muladi, who has been proposed by
\nAkbar, is not in the list.<\/p>\n
Akbar later said that he did not rule out the possibility of
\nthe House making its own nominations.<\/p>\n
The House's next duty would be to examine the records of all
\nthe candidates proposed, and if approved, they might be invited
\nto present their visions, he said.<\/p>\n
A separate commission should be established to examine the
\nwealth of the candidates, he said. (01\/dja)<\/p>",
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