Court delays ruling on reclamation

JAKARTA: A panel of judges from the State Administrative Court decided on Wednesday to postpone delivery of a ruling on a lawsuit filed by six companies involved in the Jakarta northern coast reclamation project against the Office of the State Minister for the Environment.

"We are delaying delivery of our decision for a week to allow both parties to settle the case out of court. We shall resume reading the verdict whatever settlement is reached by both disputing parties," presiding judge Edy Nurjono told the court.

A lawyer for the state minister's office, Johanis Tanak, said his client would not annul the decree, which recommended a halt to the reclamation project, as it would further damage the coastal environment.

"We will not accept an out-of-court settlement," he told media.

Ch. Agus Liana, who represents the plaintiffs, said that they welcomed an amicable resolution, but could not say what kind of settlement they would offer to the minister.

The trial started in July 2003. The court has delayed its verdict several times since then. Many environmental watchdogs, such as the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) accused the court of intentionally prolonging the trial to allow time for negotiation. -- JP