NGOs demand House to suspend judiciary deliberations<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
A coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) called on
\nthe House of Representatives and the government on Friday to
\nsuspend the deliberation of three judiciary bills due to the
\nlimited time allocated for the purpose.<\/p>\n
\"What can you expect from laws deliberated in such a rush?\"
\ncoalition member Rifqi Sjarief Assegaf asked after meeting with
\nChief Justice Bagir Manan.<\/p>\n
The House has allocated 11 working days from Jan. 28 to Feb.
\n10 to deliberate three bills on amendments to Law No. 2\/1986 on
\npublic court, to Law No. 5\/1986 on state administrative court,
\nand to Law No. 5\/1991 on the Attorney General's Office.<\/p>\n
The three bills are part of five total laws on the judiciary.
\nThe two others -- the law on the Supreme Court and the law on
\njudicial power -- were passed last year.<\/p>\n
Rifqi said the fact that both the House and the government
\ndecided to deliberate the bills in such a short time showed that
\nthey had no vision on how to develop an independent judiciary.<\/p>\n
\"Each bill includes several contradictory articles,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rifqi cited an article that appears in the bills on public
\ncourt and on state administrative court stipulating that judges
\nmust be civil servants and not state officials, while an article
\nin the bill on the Attorney General's Office says prosecutors
\nmust be state officials.<\/p>\n
\"This is nonsense, as it minimizes the merit of judges and
\nraises that of prosecutors without a strong logical basis,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He also pointed to an article in the bill on the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office that only recognizes prosecutors as being
\neligible for the post of Attorney General.<\/p>\n
Fellow activist Binziad Khadafy raised concerns over the lack
\nof a law on judicial commission, which is to monitor the
\nperformance of the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
\"The existing law on the Supreme Court has enabled the court
\nto separate from the ministry of justice, which means the court
\ncould be independent. However, the Supreme Court might abuse its
\npower if it is not monitored by a judicial commission,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The House and the government have yet to deliberate the bill
\non judicial commission.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is currently making an effort to
\nimplement judicial reform, which has met with internal
\nopposition, including judges and court clerks.<\/p>\n
Chief Justice Bagir Manan said the Supreme Court could not
\nreform the country's judiciary without cooperation from other
\nparties, including law makers at the House.<\/p>\n
While the country's judiciary is notorious for its \"court
\nmafia\" -- the local name for backroom dealings and bribery that
\noccur at all levels of the judicial system -- the public has
\ntended to blame only the judiciary, without scrutinizing other
\ninstitutions that have a bearing on its performance and function.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-demand-house-to-suspend-judiciary-deliberations-1447899208",
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