Ad Hoc Judges' Bill Urged to Clarify Status of Ad Hoc Judges

The Forum for Solidarity of Ad Hoc Judges is pushing for clarity on the status of ad hoc judges to be regulated in the Judicial Positions Bill (RUU Jabatan Hakim). During a public hearing (RDPU) by the DPR’s Commission III discussing the RUU Jabatan Hakim on Tuesday (31/3/2026), Siti Noor Laila, representing the Forum for Solidarity of Ad Hoc Judges, assessed that ad hoc judges currently still lack a clear status under the existing paradigm. As a result, the Income Tax (PPh), which is not insignificant in amount from the honoraria of ad hoc judges, must be borne by themselves. She views ad hoc judges as often regarded as second-class citizens in Indonesia’s judicial world. “Thirdly, we are evaluated with a five-year periodic system that is vulnerable to politicisation. Because judges must be independent, but this evaluation is not part of the routine; rather, we are concerned that political aspects may enter later,” Laila stated. In addition, she urged permanent integration into the judicial system, so that in the future, there would be commercial judges, tax judges, corruption judges, and the like. Previously, the RUU Jabatan Hakim was said to regulate the status of judges as state officials, not civil servants (PNS). This is because the status of judges as PNS or state officials is one of eight issues related to judicial positions in Indonesia. “The first is the dualism of judges’ status as state officials and civil servants (PNS),” stated the Head of the DPR RI’s Expert Body, Bayu Dwi Anggono, during an RDP with Commission III regarding the RUU Jabatan Hakim on Wednesday (21/1/2026). “Regarding the main provisions on changing the status of judges to state officials,” Bayu said. Bayu continued that judges are state officials granted authority to receive, examine, adjudicate, and decide cases at the Supreme Court and judicial bodies under it. “In the general judicial environment, religious judicial environment, military judicial environment, state administrative judicial environment, and special courts within those judicial environments. Including ad hoc judges,” Bayu stated. Meanwhile, state officials are officials who exercise executive, legislative, and judicial powers. “State officials are officials who exercise executive, legislative, and judicial powers, and other officials whose authority and main duties relate to state administration in accordance with statutory provisions,” Bayu said.