Law Minister says Indonesia expands community-based access to justice

Indonesian Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas has stated that Indonesia continues to expand access to justice through a people-centred justice approach. Speaking at the 14th Saint Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF) in Russia on Thursday, Supratman introduced a number of initiatives to bring legal services closer to the public, one of which is the Village Legal Aid Post (Posbankum Desa) now present in all villages across Indonesia. “This programme is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s Asta Cita. Modernising the legal system is not only about utilising technology, but also about how legal services are present closer, easily accessible, and responsive to the needs of the community,” he said. According to him, Posbankum Desa services include the provision of legal information, legal consultation, mediation, advocacy, and referrals to advocates if a case proceeds to a more complex legal process. Through this service, the government hopes that the public can obtain legal assistance from an early stage so that legal issues can be resolved more quickly, easily, and effectively. Supratman’s participation in the 14th SPILF was part of a working visit to Russia that began on Wednesday (24/6). This participation marks Indonesia’s second appearance at the forum and reflects the increasingly close relations and legal cooperation between Indonesia and Russia. On the sidelines of the forum, Supratman also held a bilateral meeting with Russian Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko. The meeting discussed a number of strategic issues, including the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TSP) and BRICS international arbitration involving Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Previously, Supratman also met with the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Gutsan to strengthen legal cooperation between the two countries. The cooperation includes the exchange of information and best practices, human resource capacity development, the organisation of scientific and professional activities, and other forms of cooperation. This is to support the implementation of the duties and functions of both institutions, particularly in access to legal data and information to improve the quality of public services. The collaboration reflects Indonesia’s commitment to continue strengthening legal diplomacy and expanding international cooperation in supporting the improvement of public service quality and the strengthening of bilateral relations between Indonesia and the Russian Federation.