Experts call for complete overhaul of Supreme Court

JAKARTA (JP): Legal experts called for a complete overhaul of the administration of the Supreme Court to increase the effectiveness of the publicly tarnished body.

"We need people with credibility and integrity to replace those in the Supreme Court... We do not believe them anymore," the chairman of the Indonesian Lawyers Union, Trimedya Panjaitan, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Trimedya's statement came as President Abdurrahman Wahid proposed that former judge Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, should become the head of the Supreme Court to replace Sarwata.

"I will ask him to hire the toughest people possible because we need a strong legal system. Otherwise, it will be no different from the past," Abdurrahman said of the court, which during the 32-year reign of Soeharto was viewed as an instrument of the government.

Supreme Court officials, however, seem less than enthusiastic with the proposal, arguing that the chief justice should be a career judge and chosen from within the court.

The secretary-general of the Supreme Court, Pranowo, admitted recently that a number of deputy chief judges said they would feel uncomfortable if Benjamin was named chief justice because they considered him their "junior".

Pranowo also said that several deputy chief judges "jokingly" remarked that they would resign if the government named Benjamin the chief justice.

Trimedya maintained that such statements were only a pretext to protect vested interests in the Supreme Court.

"There is a strong impression that Benjamin is not wanted there because he could be a threat to them."

Trimedya called on the House of Representatives to also nominate Benjamin because Abdurrahman's proposal gained widespread public support.

Benjamin made headlines in 1995 when he ruled against the government's decision to shut down the Tempo newsweekly. A ruling in defiance of the government's wishes was unprecedented at the time.

Tempo eventually lost the case when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the closure ordered by the information ministry.

Earlier in the day, a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Amin Arjoso, also supported the proposal that the post of chief justice not be the exclusive right of career judges.

He told the discussion that noncareer judges would not be a problem as long as the candidate displayed an "unquestionable track record". (byg)