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)