KY-MA dismisses and imposes two-year suspension without pay on two judges for adultery

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Judicial Commission (KY) and the Supreme Court (MA) have imposed a dismissal and nonpalu sanctions on two judges in Central Sulawesi and Sabang, Aceh, after findings of extramarital affairs while still married to their respective spouses. The two judges referred to are a justice on the High Court of Central Sulawesi with initials LTS who was given permanent dismissal with pension rights, and the judge of the Sabang District Court with initials DW who was given a two-year nonpalu. “Deciding that the respondents were found to have violated Article 3.3.1(1), Article 5.5.1.1, and Article 7.1 of the Joint Regulation of the Supreme Court and the Judicial Commission No. 02/PB/MA/IX/2012-02/PB/P.KY/09/2012,” said the Chair of the Judges’ Honour Council (MKH) Desmihardi, who is also Deputy Chair of KY, as reported in Jakarta, Wednesday. In their defence, the two judges admitted and regretted the extramarital affair while they were still first-level judges. The affair, according to MKH, undermined the honour of the judiciary. Moreover, both are now divorced from their partners and had married in October 2024. After the divorce, both continued to provide maintenance to their children from the former marriages and maintained good communication. The statements were corroborated by the former partners who attended as mitigating witnesses. Regarding this, MKH saw genuine remorse from both respondents. Additionally, the two judges also desired to preserve their new households. Therefore, MKH partly accepted the defence of the respondents but still stated that they had violated the Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Judicial Conduct (KEPPH). MKH’s proceedings were held at the MA building, Jakarta, on Tuesday (3/3), chaired by Desmihardi with members KY member Abhan, Williem Saija, and Setyawan Hartono, as well as Supreme Court Justices Tama Ulinta Tarigan, Nurul Elmiyah, and Lailatul Arofah. Previously, on Monday (2/3) MKH also dismissed DD, a judge of Kraksaan District Court, East Java, for neglecting his wife and children and for forging his wife’s personal information and data in a divorce case. From 2017 to 2020, DD only sent money to his wife and child four times, one time per year. Therefore, DD was deemed irresponsible and failed to uphold the dignity and majesty of being a judge in family life. In addition to neglecting wife and children, DD also forged personal information and altered his wife’s civil registration data. DD used a sham certificate in the divorce petition. DD acknowledged the accusation to speed up the divorce. DD also falsified the family card data, including the names of both children. Yet in court rulings there was no provision about who would have custody of the children. DD acknowledged the accusation to protect their children’s future. “Imposing the sanctions on the respondent with the severe penalty of permanent dismissal with pension rights,” Desmihardi said, reading the verdict on the ethical case of DD.