Minister: Legal Aid Posts Help Save State Budget on Case Resolution

Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas has stated that Legal Aid Posts (Posbankum) can save the state budget because various community legal issues can be resolved outside the courts. Speaking at the ‘Pasti Ada Solusi’ (There Must Be a Solution) event in Jakarta on Friday, he said that resolving cases through mediation, restorative justice, customary law, or mechanisms facilitated by village heads not only reduces the state’s cost burden but also maintains social relationships within the community. “Going to court does not necessarily solve all problems, especially those related to social relationships,” he said. Through Posbankum, the government institutionalises these mechanisms so that every resolution can be documented, including the number of cases resolved at the village level and those that must proceed to court. “Because this is very strategic, if these 83,960 Posbankum can work optimally, the state cost savings will be extraordinary. Imagine if all cases went to court,” he said. He noted that paralegal training is conducted in collaboration with 777 legal aid organisations across Indonesia, while peacemaker training is carried out through collaboration with the Supreme Court. Posbankum is a free legal aid service established to assist the public, particularly underprivileged groups, in resolving legal issues, both through the courts and at the village and sub-district levels. The service aims to expand access to justice so that it can be enjoyed equally by all levels of society.