UI Wins Cassation, Sanctions Against Bahlil's Dissertation Promoters Upheld

The Supreme Court has granted the University of Indonesia’s (UI) cassation appeal regarding a lawsuit against the rector’s decree, which imposed administrative sanctions on the promoter and co-promoter of the doctoral dissertation of Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia. With this ruling, the sanctions that had been annulled by the first instance and appellate courts are now declared legally valid.

UI stated that the Supreme Court, through its rulings Number 346 K/TUN/2026 and Number 347 K/TUN/2026 dated 24 June 2026, granted the university’s cassation appeal. The Supreme Court overturned the previous court decisions and adjudicated the case itself by rejecting the plaintiffs’ lawsuit. The Rector’s Decree, which was the object of the dispute, was issued after four university bodies—the Rector, the Board of Professors, the Board of Trustees, and the Academic Senate—conducted an examination into alleged academic and ethical violations in the doctoral programme.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, UI Rector Heri Hermansyah stated that the ruling provides legal certainty that the university’s policy was in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. “For UI, the most important thing is to maintain academic integrity, enforce good governance, and ensure every policy is implemented in accordance with statutory regulations and the principles of justice,” Heri said on Friday, 26 June 2026. UI emphasised that the imposition of sanctions is part of its effort to uphold academic integrity and will continue to strengthen its internal governance and supervisory systems.