Justice a game for RI lawyers

Justice a game for RI lawyers

From Koran Tempo

During the New Order era, a senior and noted lawyer, who was
smart with his tricks when handling his cases, was alleged to
have been in contempt of court.

Recently, in a court hearing involving a very important
government agency and a very important high-ranking official,
swear words were copiously shouted inside the court.

Then in a gathering organized by a prestigious "Jakarta
Lawyers Club", two famous lawyers almost came to blows over a
disputed letter. This gathering, held on June 28, 2002 and
broadcast by a private television station, was intended to expose
the rotten aspects of the case in which Manulife insurance
company had been declared bankrupt. Unfortunately, the show
immediately turned into a protracted debate.

One lawyer said he had never offered his service to take care
of the Manulife case while the other lawyer insisted he had a
written proof about this offer. Very soon, the gathering turned
into an arena in which the two lawyers tried to justify
themselves. This ugly, farcical scene was also seen by TV
viewers.

Then to make this farce even more unfortunate, a receiver in
the case of Manulife's bankruptcy said that all his acts were
solely in the interests of the state.

This gathering shows that all agreements resulting from the
channeling of the Bank Indonesian Liquidity Support loans have
become a ridiculous game of fortune hunting for lawyers.

A lawyer said during a Metro TV interview that if lawyers did
not handle cases related to corruption, collusion and nepotism,
they would not be able to amass wealth (i.e. get large bribes)
and enhance their reputation.

If this is the case, then the lawyers' code of conduct that
stipulates prioritizing the interest of the state and meting out
justice must only be meaningless lip service.

TAUFIK KARMADI

Jakarta