Law taken into own hands

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