Public, lawyers asked not to 'distract' judges

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A judge has called on people, particularly lawyers, to leave judges alone when they are making decisions in legal cases and to stop distracting them with bribes, in a bid to produce fair verdicts.

Andi Samsan Nganro, head of the Cibinong District Court, said during a discussion here on Monday, that judges and court clerks were prone to exploit their power, leading to the development of "court mafias".

"Strong support from the people to insist on fair trails is a must. People, including lawyers, are expected not to try and lure judges and court clerks with bribes in order to win their cases. Let judges make their legal arguments fairly," he said.

Andi, who was formerly a spokesman with the Central Jakarta District Court, explained that bribes from people only disrupted the judicial system.

He admitted that many people may well be asked for money by court officials and judges in order to obtain favorable verdicts.

Andi urged non-governmental organizations and the media to keep a watchful eye on the courts as this may help judges to "resist temptation."

Legal observer Bambang Widjajanto said that Andi is a judge with a good reputation who has the courage to issue rulings that meets the public's sense of justice, even it runs against government policies.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Legal Aid Institute Director, Uli Parulian Sihombing, said Indonesian advocates did not have the commitment to take a stance against bribing judges and court officials.

"Advocate organizations have done very little on this issue so far. Of course, a few of them have attempted to join the movement for judicial reform, but they have never declared their position against bribery of judges or court officials," he said.

Meanwhile, Bambang suggested the establishment of a network consisting of clean judges, court officials, prosecutors, investigators and advocates, in a bid to limit the space of court mafias.

"I believe that we have some clean and reputable law enforcers and advocates. We need to support them in setting up a clean and fair system. It's far better than just blaming them," he said.

Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) has issued a report outlining the existence of court mafias across the nation. It revealed that corruption within the country's judiciary was glaring and well-organized, involving all players within the legal system.