Coordinating Minister Yusril: Justice-Based Law Must Be Accompanied by Character Strengthening

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has stated that the development of a just legal system must be accompanied by the strengthening of character and integrity among state officials. Speaking at the launch and discussion of the ‘Seri Pemikiran Nasaruddin Umar’ book series at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta on Thursday, he assessed that democracy, the constitution, and the state administration system will not function optimally without the support of civilisational ethics rooted in religious and moral values. “Religious values provide moral direction for public life. Democracy, the constitution, and state institutions remain essential, but all of this will become fragile without the support of morality,” Yusril stated. He added that the presence of religion must be manifested in the values of justice and humanity that protect all citizens, regardless of their background or whether they belong to majority or minority groups. Yusril reminded that scholars and statesmen have complementary responsibilities in building the nation. He noted that scholars safeguard the moral depth of society, while statesmen translate these values into policy and state institutions. He further remarked that the law functions to ensure power is not exercised excessively. “Sometimes the articles of law appear clear, yet their application can produce injustice. At other times, the law provides options, and the quality of the decision depends heavily on the character of the individual exercising that authority,” he said. The Coordinating Minister stressed that legal reform is insufficient if it only involves creating new regulations, restructuring institutions, or developing digital government systems. Without a change in the integrity of state officials, justice will remain difficult to achieve. He identified the nation’s greatest challenge as not a lack of legal instruments, but rather a weakness in civilisational ethics within national life. Therefore, he urged that the application of ethical values must become an integral part of state practice, supported by all elements of society. During the same event, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar noted that his productivity in writing continues, with the launched books being part of dozens of works he has published.