Judicial Commission screens potential candidates for Supreme Court ad hoc judges registration
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Judicial Commission (KY) is screening potential candidates to register and participate in the selection for Supreme Court (MA) justices, ad hoc human rights (HAM) justices, and ad hoc corruption (Tipikor) justices for 2026.
The screening is being carried out through online socialisation of the selection process for Supreme Court justices and ad hoc justices over two days, on 7 and 8 April 2026.
“This socialisation activity is meaningful and intended first to provide explanations regarding the selection process for Supreme Court justices, ad hoc HAM justices, and ad hoc Tipikor justices at the Supreme Court, as well as to increase public participation or potential candidates to register and participate in the aforementioned selection,” said KY Chairman Abdul Chair Ramadhan in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Abdul explained that the selection and screening process for Supreme Court justices and ad hoc justices at the Supreme Court is in accordance with the mandate of the 1945 Constitution.
The KY has the authority to handle the registration of Supreme Court justice candidates, conduct selections, determine candidates, and propose them to the House of Representatives (DPR RI), as regulated in Article 13 letter a of Law Number 18 of 2011 on amendments to Law Number 22 of 2004.
“The Judicial Commission also has the mandate to propose the appointment of ad hoc justices at the Supreme Court to the DPR for approval,” he said.
Although this authority was once tested on material grounds at the Constitutional Court, the ruling stated that the KY remains authorised to handle proposals for ad hoc justice registrations at the Supreme Court to this day.
The opening of registrations for the selection of Supreme Court and ad hoc justices follows the KY’s receipt of a letter from the Deputy Chief Justice for Judicial Affairs of the MA, containing a request to fill vacancies for Supreme Court justices, ad hoc HAM justices, and ad hoc Tipikor justices at the end of February 2026.
The MA informed the needs for Supreme Court justices, including two civil chamber justices, four religious chamber justices, three administrative court chamber justices specialising in tax, two ad hoc HAM justices, and one ad hoc Tipikor justice.
The KY followed up on the MA’s letter by opening the acceptance of proposals for Supreme Court justice candidates, ad hoc HAM justice candidates, and ad hoc Tipikor justice candidates from 26 March to 16 April 2026 online.
He said that to date, there are 143 Supreme Court justice candidates who have filled out the online registration, but only 21 have completed the data entry and uploaded the required documents.
Meanwhile, for ad hoc HAM justice candidates at the MA, out of 50 candidates who filled out the online registration, only one has completed it and uploaded the required documents.
“Then for ad hoc Tipikor justices at the MA, out of 102 candidates who registered, only nine have completed the data entry and uploaded the required documents,” he said.
Abdul explained that currently, Supreme Court justices and ad hoc justices are needed who can address task challenges by realising an independent judiciary.
“The current challenges are quite heavy in terms of regulatory changes, judicial corruption, transactional services, including technical judicial decisions that contain substantive elements which are deviations from procedural law and have certain intentions, as well as technological advancements,” he said.
“Therefore, all these challenges must be a concern and should motivate Supreme Court justices, ad hoc HAM justices, ad hoc Tipikor justices to build the judiciary towards change and perfect the independent judicial power,” said Abdul.
KY Member for Judge Recruitment Andi Muhammad Asrun said the socialisation is being held over two days, divided into two sessions. The first session covers career and non-career paths as well as ad hoc HAM-Tipikor.
He said this socialisation is important for them to ask high court judges to register to participate in the selection.
“The KY is asking many high court judges to join the 2026 Supreme Court justice selection. If high court judges participate, they will gain selection experience and at the same time be able to assess their respective competencies,” said Asrun.