RI establishes Constitutional Court<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri installed on Saturday nine
\njudges to the bench of the newly created Constitutional Court.<\/p>\n
In a ceremony attended by high-level officials at the State
\nPalace, the nine judges, all prominent figures in the field of
\nlaw, were sworn in by the President.<\/p>\n
The nine judges were nominated by the government, the House of
\nRepresentatives and the Supreme Court. They are Achmad
\nSyarifuddin, Mukti Fadjar, Haryono, Jimly Asshiddique, Achmad
\nRustandi, I Dewa Palguna, Laica Marzuki, Sudarsono and Muarar
\nSiahaan.<\/p>\n
With the installment of the judges, the Constitutional Court
\nofficially takes over the judicial review authority from the
\nSupreme Court. It is also ready to hear other cases dealing with
\nthe Constitution.<\/p>\n
"The public should have no doubt about us. We promise to be
\nindependent in settling cases between state institutions," Jimly
\nsaid after the ceremony.<\/p>\n
The Constitutional Court was established officially several
\ndays after the President enacted the law on the court. The bill,
\nwhich was deliberated by the House for one and half months, was
\nendorsed by the House last week.<\/p>\n
The Constitutional Court is directed by the Constitution to
\nconduct judicial reviews and settle cases where the president is
\nconsidered to have violated the law.<\/p>\n
There are worries the political affiliations of the judges
\ncould influence the court's decisions, especially as regards
\ncases involving the president.<\/p>\n
Jimly, who is affiliated with the Golkar Party, denied
\npolitics would color the court's decisions.<\/p>\n
Two judges, Haryono and Palguna, are affiliated with the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
\nlargest party in the country, while Rustandi was proposed by the
\nUnited Development Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
Jimly said the nine judges would hold their maiden meeting as
\nsoon as possible to elect a chief judge and to resolve any
\ntechnical matters.<\/p>\n
"We will also have a meeting with the Supreme Court, which
\nused to handle judicial reviews," he said.<\/p>\n
The Constitution required the country to have a Constitutional
\nCourt up and running before Aug. 17 this year.<\/p>\n
Laica Marzuki, one of three judges nominated by the Supreme
\nCourt, had been receiving treatment for respiratory problems at a
\nJakarta hospital.<\/p>\n
He left the hospital for several hours to attend the ceremony
\nat the State Palace.<\/p>\n
A team of doctor and nurses were standing by during the
\nceremony, along with an oxygen tank, in case Laica fell ill.<\/p>\n
"We are so worried, he should not leave the hospital," one of
\nthe nurses said. The team took Laica back to the hospital as soon
\nas the ceremony was over.<\/p>\n
Most of the Cabinet, House of Representative Speaker Akbar
\nTandjung and other official were among the attendees at the
\nceremony.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-establishes-constitutional-court-1447893297",
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