Just law enforcement 'may negate corruption'

JAKARTA (JP): A noted legal expert has stressed the need to promote consistency in law enforcement, instead of legal reform, in the effort to curb rampant abuses.

Satjipto Rahardjo, a law professor at Diponegoro University in Semarang, Central Java, said law enforcement was deteriorating compared to 10 years ago.

"There is a kind of divergence since the law enforcement has yet to match what is expected and is not yet in line with the 1945 Constitution," he said in Semarang yesterday in response to the cries for reform from students nationwide.

The Constitution contained the spirit of family, economic democracy and rule by the people and, therefore, the authorities should have this familial and democratic spirit in enforcing the law, he was quoted as saying by Antara news service.

"The Constitution gives more emphasis on the civil society than the legal system. In practice, this emphasis depends much on authorities having competence in enforcing the law, including the government, court, police, prosecutors, lawyers and judges."

He said corruption, collusion and nepotism were anticipated in the Constitution, but they were rampant due to people's failings, not the law itself.

Laws on corruption, subversion and the environment have been made, but corrupt practices and environmental violations were still rampant because authorities were inconsistent in enforcing the laws, he said.

In a short-term program, he said, the law authorities should learn to faithfully and consistently enforce the law.

"We need no changes in the judicial system, court organization or new laws. What should be done is see to that authorities enforce the existing law consistently and in the spirit of the constitution."

Meanwhile in Yogyakarta, sociologist Nasikun of Gadjah Mada University said failure to faithfully enforce the law in many political aspects had produced a political system riddled with corruption, collusion and nepotism.

"The New Order's political system has no correction mechanism to check the rampant power abuses conducted by (its) main players." (23/rms/aan)