Law taken into own hands

The tendency to take the law into one's own hands is now more apparent than ever.

One recent example was the burning down of a city bus in Jakarta by an angry mob after it hit a mikrolet public transport vehicle, severely wounding its four passengers. The other is the marching 'punishment' imposed by villagers in Padang Pangrapat, East Kalimantan on four young women for alleged involvement in the world's oldest profession.

This list could go on and on. Law experts attribute this tendency to people's frustration with the judicial system. This reminds us of an assessment made by the Indonesian Advocates Association last year that the country's judicial system had seriously deteriorated.

Once justice fails to be upheld, the law of the jungle will reign, and this is very dangerous indeed.

Upholding justice is easier said than done and thus everyone working in law related fields are being exhorted to work harder to create a legal apparatus based on integrity.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta