Student Forum Files Ethics Complaint Against Constitutional Court Honour Council Chair Amid Adies Case
The Indonesian Student Forum (Formasi) has reported the Chair of the Constitutional Court Honour Council (MKMK), I Dewa Gede Palguna, over alleged violations of the judicial code of ethics and conduct. The complaint was filed amid the MKMK’s ongoing handling of a case against Constitutional Justice Adies Kadir, who was nominated by the House of Representatives (DPR).
“The MKMK Chair has exceeded the bounds of ethical propriety for his position and demonstrated a tendency towards personalisation of authority that is inconsistent with the values of judicial independence,” said Formasi Chairman Pian Andreo in a written statement on Monday, 23 February 2026.
The complaint against Palguna rests on four substantive points. The first concerns Palguna’s participation as a speaker in an online discussion in May 2024, during which he stated that revisions to the Constitutional Court Law represented the greatest disruption in history. According to Formasi, Palguna’s remarks constituted harsh criticism of the DPR’s Legislation Body outside official forums.
Secondly, Formasi took issue with Palguna’s disclosure of Justice Anwar Usman’s absenteeism figures in the 2025 annual report. Formasi considers this action a violation of internal confidentiality and collegiality principles, as it was carried out before any final internal resolution mechanism had been completed.
Thirdly, Formasi assessed that Palguna employed emotional rhetoric whilst on duty. He was singled out for declaring “My heart is shattered” in response to conditions at the Constitutional Court. Formasi viewed this as a lack of objectivity unbefitting an ethics guardian.
Finally, Formasi highlighted Palguna’s past record, noting that he was previously examined by an ethics council in connection with the bribery case involving former Constitutional Justice Patrialis Akbar in 2017. Formasi flagged this examination as part of Palguna’s integrity record. On the basis of these four grounds, Formasi suspects Palguna has violated the Sapta Karsa Hutama and Constitutional Court Regulations.
Pian stated that an MKMK Chair is expected to demonstrate impeccable moral integrity and consistent ethical maturity. However, Formasi perceives a pattern of behaviour by Palguna that risks diminishing ethical standards within the Constitutional Court.
Formasi has demanded that the MKMK follow up on their complaint by conducting a thorough and transparent examination. They have also requested that the MKMK impose fair sanctions to preserve the authority of the judiciary.
Separately, MKMK Chair I Dewa Gede Palguna confirmed that the institution had received the complaint from Formasi. Palguna said the report would not affect the handling of the case against Justice Adies Kadir.
“The complaint against me does not interfere with the case we are currently handling,” he said via a messaging application on Monday.
Palguna maintained that his refusal to disclose the substance of the complaint before DPR Commission III was a stance to safeguard the non-negotiable independence of the MKMK. However, should that stance be deemed erroneous, Palguna stated he would have no objection to receiving sanctions.