Constitutional Court Ethics Council Chair Responds to Ethics Complaint Filed Against Him
The chairman of the Constitutional Court's Honorary Council (MKMK), I Dewa Gede Palguna, has been reported to the MKMK over alleged breaches of the code of ethics and conduct for constitutional court justices. Palguna assured that the complaint would not interfere with the council's processing of reports related to the appointment of Constitutional Court Justice Adies Kadir.
"The complaint will absolutely not disrupt the MKMK's work. We are carrying on as normal. The procedures are well established," Palguna told reporters on Sunday (22/2/2026).
Palguna stated that the complaint against Adies Kadir would continue to be processed by the MKMK despite the fact that he himself had also been reported to the council. The Adies Kadir case has now reached the judges' deliberation meeting (RPH) stage.
"The process has reached the stage of hearing testimony from the reported justice. It has now entered the RPH stage to determine whether these complaints merit advancement to the hearing examination stage or not," he said.
The Indonesian Student Forum (Formasi) is known to have filed the complaint against Palguna with the MKMK. The complaint was lodged on the grounds of alleged violations of the code of ethics and conduct for constitutional court justices.
"Formasi considers that the attitude and actions of I Dewa Gede Palguna in carrying out his function as MKMK Chairman have exceeded the bounds of ethical propriety for the office and demonstrate a tendency towards personalisation of authority that is inconsistent with the values of judicial independence," read Formasi's official statement on Saturday (21/2).
The key points of Formasi's complaint include the allegation that Palguna made comments and sharp criticisms of other state institutions, particularly the House of Representatives' Legislation Body, outside official forums. The evidence cited was his characterisation of the revision of the Constitutional Court Law as "the greatest disruption in history" during an online discussion in May 2024.
Furthermore, Formasi assessed that Palguna had violated principles of internal confidentiality and collegiality by disclosing details of Justice Anwar Usman's attendance record to the public in the 2025 annual report. This was deemed unethical as it was done before the completion of a final internal resolution mechanism.
Formasi also noted that Palguna had used emotional language such as "my heart is shattered" when addressing the condition of the Constitutional Court. Formasi considered this to be lacking in objectivity and inconsistent with his role as an ethics guardian.
Additionally, Formasi highlighted tensions in February 2026 when Palguna stated he would rather be dismissed than disclose the substance of certain ethics reports during a meeting with the House of Representatives. Formasi also pointed to Palguna's examination by the Ethics Council in 2017 in connection with the Patrialis Akbar bribery case as a matter of record regarding his integrity.
"The complaint will absolutely not disrupt the MKMK's work. We are carrying on as normal. The procedures are well established," Palguna told reporters on Sunday (22/2/2026).
Palguna stated that the complaint against Adies Kadir would continue to be processed by the MKMK despite the fact that he himself had also been reported to the council. The Adies Kadir case has now reached the judges' deliberation meeting (RPH) stage.
"The process has reached the stage of hearing testimony from the reported justice. It has now entered the RPH stage to determine whether these complaints merit advancement to the hearing examination stage or not," he said.
The Indonesian Student Forum (Formasi) is known to have filed the complaint against Palguna with the MKMK. The complaint was lodged on the grounds of alleged violations of the code of ethics and conduct for constitutional court justices.
"Formasi considers that the attitude and actions of I Dewa Gede Palguna in carrying out his function as MKMK Chairman have exceeded the bounds of ethical propriety for the office and demonstrate a tendency towards personalisation of authority that is inconsistent with the values of judicial independence," read Formasi's official statement on Saturday (21/2).
The key points of Formasi's complaint include the allegation that Palguna made comments and sharp criticisms of other state institutions, particularly the House of Representatives' Legislation Body, outside official forums. The evidence cited was his characterisation of the revision of the Constitutional Court Law as "the greatest disruption in history" during an online discussion in May 2024.
Furthermore, Formasi assessed that Palguna had violated principles of internal confidentiality and collegiality by disclosing details of Justice Anwar Usman's attendance record to the public in the 2025 annual report. This was deemed unethical as it was done before the completion of a final internal resolution mechanism.
Formasi also noted that Palguna had used emotional language such as "my heart is shattered" when addressing the condition of the Constitutional Court. Formasi considered this to be lacking in objectivity and inconsistent with his role as an ethics guardian.
Additionally, Formasi highlighted tensions in February 2026 when Palguna stated he would rather be dismissed than disclose the substance of certain ethics reports during a meeting with the House of Representatives. Formasi also pointed to Palguna's examination by the Ethics Council in 2017 in connection with the Patrialis Akbar bribery case as a matter of record regarding his integrity.