The judiciary and our sense of justice

The judiciary and our sense of justice

In the din of the 50th anniversary of Indonesia's independence
and various other big events, it is understandable that the
verdict pronounced by the Central Jakarta district court on
Danang Kukuh Wardoyo has escaped our attention.

However, it seems difficult for our sense of justice to allow
the incident to pass without further notice. Danang Kukuh
Wardoyo, 19, a house servant at the Alliance of Independent
Journalists (AJI) was sentenced to 20 months in prison, minus the
time he has spent in detention.

The court pronounced him guilty of helping to sow hatred
against the government, as defined in Article 154 of the Penal
Code, which, since colonial days, has been considered
controversial in nature and is known as the "Hate Sowing
Article".

What does that fact, that our country is a state based on law
rather than on power, mean? It means that everything --
especially things involving human dignity and human rights -- is
determined on the basis of the principles of the law, rather than
those of power. The courts are where laws that support the
principles of truth and justice are upheld.

It is a common occurrence everywhere that legal cases also get
to contain elements of politics. It is particularly in such
cases, however, that those who seek justice expect court trials
to be conducted on the basis of principles and in the spirit of
the law. Elements of politics should not be allowed to enter.

It is such cases that test the integrity, the credibility and
the authority of the judiciary.

-- Kompas, Jakarta