DPR Meeting: Juniver Girsang Proposes Establishment of Advocates' Supervisory Board

Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) held a public hearing with advocates to gather input on the revision of Law No. 18 of 2003 on Advocates. One proposal that emerged was the establishment of an advocates’ supervisory board to protect the public. The proposal was put forward by Juniver Girsang, Chairman of the Peradi SAI Supervisory Board. During the meeting, he emphasised the need for progressive steps in revising the Advocates Law by forming an Advocates’ Supervisory Board as part of a stronger oversight system. According to Juniver, the continuously increasing number of advocates is not matched by effective control mechanisms, which could potentially lower the quality of legal services to the public. “There must be a supervisor who can monitor, control, and observe the behaviour of advocates to prevent them from providing services that harm the public,” said Juniver at Commission III of the DPR RI, Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (20/4/2026). The meeting was chaired directly by the Chairman of Commission III, Habiburokhman. In addition, he proposed the formation of a National Advocates’ Honour Board with the authority to oversee all advocates and process ethical code violations. He highlighted the current situation, where there is no uniform ethical code standard across various advocate organisations. Furthermore, Juniver revealed that there are currently more than 140 advocate organisations without an integrated oversight system. This opens loopholes for advocates who violate the ethical code to switch organisations without clear sanctions. Therefore, he stressed the importance of establishing a national Honour Board that is separate from the Supervisory Board to create a check and balance mechanism. “No single institution should be too powerful. There must be a separation between supervision and honour to prevent abuse of power,” he said. Furthermore, he also encouraged the implementation of an advocate certification system through a single authorised body, including standardised professional examinations. He emphasised the importance of continuous education for advocates to keep up with legal developments, particularly in the context of the new Criminal Code. “This is important for the public’s interest and so that advocates can carry out their duties well and responsibly,” he stated.