UI and Judicial Commission Safeguard Judicial Independence Through Ethics Oversight

Judicial Commission (KY) Chairman Abdul Chair Ramadhan presented his views on the commission’s position within Indonesia’s constitutional system during a public lecture titled ‘The Judicial Commission as a Complement to Judicial Power’ at the University of Indonesia’s (UI) Balai Sidang in Depok on Thursday, 11 June 2026. Addressing lecturers, students, and the academic community, he discussed the future of Indonesia’s judiciary, which is determined not only by law but also by integrity. Abdul Chair asserted that law enforcement problems are not always caused by weak regulations, but also by the integrity of law enforcers. In this context, ethics becomes the foundation of law enforcement, determining how rules are applied in practice. Therefore, oversight of judges must not be viewed as a threat to judicial independence, but rather as a mechanism to maintain integrity and accountability in exercising judicial authority. ‘Independence must go hand in hand with accountability,’ he said. This view underpins the establishment of the Judicial Commission as an institution tasked with safeguarding the honour, dignity, and conduct of judges. Although it does not perform adjudicative functions like the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court, the Judicial Commission plays a role very close to judicial power. He even likened the relationship between the Judicial Commission and judicial power to sweetness and sugar, which cannot be separated. According to him, a judge’s integrity is not only visible in daily behaviour but is also reflected in the rulings they produce. A judge’s ruling represents how a judge understands facts, assesses evidence, and constructs legal arguments. He therefore highlighted the importance of ensuring that the ruling drafting process is conducted honestly and professionally. To strengthen the effectiveness of judicial oversight, Abdul Chair proposed several ideas, including revising the Judicial Commission Law to clarify the KY’s authority in examining alleged violations of the Code of Ethics and Judicial Conduct Guidelines (KEPPH). This refinement of the oversight mechanism is needed to maintain judicial integrity, enabling the KY to ensure that judicial independence proceeds alongside ethical responsibility. For UI, strengthening the judicial system is a shared responsibility that also requires contributions from academics. Through a memorandum of understanding signed with the Judicial Commission on 11 June 2026, UI is expanding collaboration in research, human resource development, and the organisation of various academic activities related to law and the judiciary. In remarks delivered on behalf of the UI Rector by the Head of the Risk Management and Compliance Agency, Rizal E. Halim, it was stated that the quality of the judiciary is determined not only by rulings but also by the integrity of the process, the quality of legal argumentation, judicial independence, and institutional accountability. Therefore, universities play a strategic role in providing research, studies, and policy recommendations that support improvements to the legal system. ‘Through this cooperation, UI is ready to contribute through joint research, the drafting of policy briefs, seminars, training, and academic examinations of rulings that attract public attention. This collaboration is expected to strengthen evidence-based policy development while supporting the realisation of a clean, accountable judiciary trusted by the public,’ said Rizal. The synergy between UI and the Judicial Commission demonstrates that strengthening the judiciary depends not only on law enforcement institutions but also on support from the academic community. Through continuous collaboration, both parties will broaden public understanding of the importance of ethics, integrity, and good governance in maintaining the quality of Indonesia’s judiciary.