Court mafia

Talk about the existence of a court mafia is once again rife in the mass media. Prof. Zainal Asikin Kusumah Atmadja, a former Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court, in an interview with the daily newspaper Kompas disclosed the existence of such a mafia. He even went so far as to say that about 50 percent of all judges were believed to be "unclean".

The issue, which is not exactly new, immediately started rolling. A number of experts have offered their opinions. Some of them acknowledged the existence while others denied it. But whether or not such a mafia exists, whether or not collusion does take place, the fact remains that many complaints have been heard from seekers of justice. This has already been admitted by legal experts and practitioners as well as judiciary officials.

In view of this we naturally feel concerned, and all the more so because the issue involves judges, who are often portrayed as being the last bastions of justice. If even the people who are active in the profession allow themselves to be encouraged to discard their professional ethics, then the issue is sure to reverberate loudly. The impact that it creates will be felt deeply and could affect Indonesia's standing as a country based on law.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta