Abdurrahman appoints 16 Supreme Court justices
Abdurrahman appoints 16 Supreme Court justices
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid has appointed 16
justices to the Supreme Court, including human rights activist
Benjamin Mangkoedilaga and former justice minister Muladi.
A press release issued on Monday by the presidential
secretariat said the President gave his approval on Saturday
through Presidential Decree No. 241.
"To accelerate the tasks of the Supreme Court in settling
cases and to support the reform of the judicial system, the
President appointed 16 from those who have passed the fit and
proper test," the statement said.
Only one candidate, career judge Mahjudin, failed to make the
final list. The House of Representatives shortlisted 17 nominees
in mid-July after screening 46 candidates.
A member of the House working committee selecting the supreme
court justice nominees, J.E. Sahetappy, admitted that most
candidates failed the screening on their moral integrity.
Other than Muladi and Benjamin, the appointees are lawyers
Abdul Rahman Saleh, Muchsin, Muhamad Laica Marzuki, Rifyal
Ka'bah; legal watchdog activist Artidjo Alkostar; lecturers Bagir
Manan and Valerine Kriekhoff; career judges Andi Syamsu Alam,
Edith Dumasi Tobing Nababan, M. Said Harahap, Margana,
Syamsuhadi, Chairani A. Wani and Abdul Kadir Mappong.
The candidate list will be extended to the People's
Consultative Assembly, House of Representatives, Supreme Audit
Agency, Supreme Court, all Cabinet ministers and other high state
institutions.
There are 20 vacant seats on the supreme court, meaning that
the House will have to select the four remaining judges.
When contacted by The Jakarta Post, Bagir and Benjamin
admitted that they did not know about their appointment to the
Court.
Bagir said he would learn more about other fields of law,
given his specialty in constitutional law.
"I'm optimistic that I will fill the gaps in my knowledge and
skills that a judge has to master," said the noted professor at
Padjadjaran University, Bandung and rector of the Bandung Islamic
University.
He said he would relinquish his position as member of the
National Ombudsman Commission in order to focus on his new duties
and maintain his impartiality.
Benjamin said he would initiate a sweeping reform of the
judicial institution.
"I will remove ill-behaved judges and even cleaning service
workers from the institution. This will be my toughest job ever.
I will be forced to fight it out, because I don't want to
disappoint people who have been longing for a just court system,"
he said.
Touted as the Supreme Court chief candidate thanks to the
President's personal preference, Benjamin took a low profile.
"I've never been a Supreme Court justice and I'm not a
professor. There are many candidates who fit the bill for the
post," he said.
The Supreme Court chief will be elected among the new and
current justices.
Benjamin made a name for himself in 1995 when as a judge at
the Jakarta State Administrative Court he ruled in favor of then
banned Tempo weekly in their suit against the government.
After the controversial verdict, Benjamin was immediately
moved to State Administrative Provincial Court in Medan, North
Sumatra and then asked to take early retirement.
He was selected as a member of the National Commission on
Human Rights in December 1998.
Muladi, who also served as state secretary during 17 months of
former president B.J. Habibie's term which ended last October,
could not be reached for comment.
He insisted during his screening in July that he would reject
any post other than Supreme Court chief. (bby/amd)