Selection team for judicial commission yet to be formed
Selection team for judicial commission yet to be formed
Muninggar Sri Saraswati
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Fifteen prominent lawyers and law experts have been proposed for
the team to select members of the judicial commission, an
institution mandated by the Constitution to monitor the
performance of judges and nominate Supreme Court judges.
Abdulgani Abdullah, the justice ministry's director general
for legislation, said on Monday his office had already brought
the names to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for approval.
Among the candidates for the team are Abdulgani, lawyers Amir
Syamsuddin, Luhut MP Pangaribuan and Todung Mulya Lubis,
academics Indriyanto Seno Adjie, Harkristuti Harkrisnowo and Andi
Hamzah, Ministry of Religious Affairs inspector general Slamet
Riyanto, Indonesia Military representative Lt. Gen. Purwadi,
Indonesia Ulema Council secretary general Din Syamsudin and non-
governmental organization representative Ibrahim Assegaf.
The military and the Ministry of Religious Affairs were
involved in the selection team as the Supreme Court would oversee
the military and religious courts as part of the one-roof
judiciary system, Abdulgani said.
He expected Susilo to endorse the lineup soon to enable them
to start selecting candidates.
Law No. 22/2004 on the judicial commission says the commission
must have been formed by Jan. 1, 2005.
"We need to start the selection process very soon, for we
don't want to be in breach of the law," Abdulgani said in his
office.
The justice ministry wants the selection team established by
the end of November.
Abdulgani said the team would adopt the same process used in
choosing the members of the Corruption Eradication Commission
(KPK).
"Transparency is a must here as well as professionalism." The
team would publicly announce each stage of the selection process,
he said.
The law on the judicial commission requires the team to
propose 14 candidates to the President, who must pick half of
them and submit them to the House of Representatives for
endorsement.
Only candidates who have experience in legal issues with
proven integrity will qualify for the nomination.
Former judges and prosecutors, lawyers and those from legal-
related professions are eligible to contest the selection.
"The selection must be conducted thoroughly as the judicial
commission will play a very strategic role," Abdulgani said.
Endemic bribery and corruption have tainted Indonesia's
judiciary for years.
The Indonesian Corruption Watch and the Partnership for
Governance Reform are among independent institutions to have
reported widespread corruption in the judiciary, from the lowest
court clerks to the top judges.