New judge tour of duty sought

SURABAYA: Chief Justice Bagir Manan said on Friday a new system for reshuffling and promoting judges was being drafted to ensure fair treatment and to allow no room for judges to file a review each time they were moved to other regions.

Speaking before judges taking part in a national meeting here, Bagir said his office was establishing the "team of eleven", who would be authorized to decide whether a judge deserves a promotion or rotation to another town.

He added that the judges were invited to directly inform the Supreme Court of their competence to earn a promotion due to the Court's poor record on judges' performances because most cases were tainted with nepotism.

In the future, the Court will also scrap the current system, in which judges may refuse a tour of duty, mostly from the inexperienced juniors, except for extraordinary reasons.

"And I won't deny the fact that many transferred judges do not show up at their new appointments. In the future, these judges will have to quit or be dismissed after three months of absence," Bagir said.

Starting this year, the administration of judges is handed to the Supreme Court from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. -- JP