Legal experts find deputy MA candidates unimpressive

Legal experts find deputy MA candidates unimpressive

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A poll has revealed that five career justices vying for two
deputy chief justice posts have failed to convince legal
practitioners that they would be an asset to the highest judicial
institution.

Some 100 lawyers, school of law lecturers, prosecutors and
former justices and legal aid institute activists interviewed by
the Judiciary Observers Coalition last month refused to name the
best among the five.

"They said they were unable to name one because they doubted
the candidates' integrity and quality," Asep Rahmat Fajar of the
coalition said over the weekend.

The respondents are familiar with the candidates due to their
profession, Asep added.

The legal practitioners suggested that the Supreme Court
cancel the election and repeat the selection of candidates, the
poll says.

The Supreme Court has invited legal observers, officials from
other institutions and journalists to witness the vote, which is
open to the public, on Wednesday.

The internal election will be the first of its kind following
revision of the Supreme Court Law. Prior to the revision, the
president appointed Supreme Court judges, including the chief
justice.

Despite the public having access to the election, Asep doubted
that the process could screen the candidates' integrity, which
many say the Supreme Court lacks.

"It is their fellow justices who will elect them. The fact is
that most justices were appointed without proper screening," he
argued.

Asep criticized the Supreme Court for not publicly disclosing
the track records of the candidates and instead trying to protect
one candidate, namely Abdul Kadir Mappong, who has been reported
to the Jakarta Police by the Civil Servants' Wealth Audit
Commission (KPKPN) for undeclared assets.

Asep supported the suggestion that the Supreme Court postpone
the vote, pending the establishment of a judicial commission.

Experts have warned that without supervision from a judicial
commission, the Supreme Court get out of control.

The House and the government have yet to finish the
deliberation of the bill that will create a judicial commission.

The five candidates for the deputy chief justice posts are the
Supreme Court's supervisory director Mariana Sutadi, religious
affairs justice Syamsul Hadi, court director for state
administrative affairs Paulus Effendy Lotulung, criminal affairs
justice Mappong and court director for the military German
Hoediarto.

Justice Iskandar Kamil withdrew his candidacy, saying that he
would focus on his duties as the chairman of the Supreme Court
selection team for an ad hoc corruption court.

Mariana, whose husband is a Golkar Party member, has been
questioned for her performance in completing backlogged cases.

Syamsul has no track record in handling criminal or civil
cases, while Paulus has risen to fame for acquitting Golkar
leader Akbar Tandjung of corruption charges.

German, a former soldier, is known for his verdict exonerating
former president Soeharto's son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra in a
graft case. The initial case led to the murder of justice
Syafiuddin Kartasasmita.

Tommy was sentenced to 15 years in jail for the murder. His
appeal is currently being heard by, among other justices, German.

Law No. 4/2004 on the Supreme Court requires the appointment
of two deputies to the chief justice -- one in charge of duties
related to case settlements and the other supervising the conduct
of the justices.