UN to probe RI judiciary's independence

UN to probe RI judiciary's independence

Agence France-Presse, Geneva

A United Nations expert will carry out a fact-finding mission to Indonesia this month to look into the general functioning of the legal system, including the independence of the judiciary, the UN said on Wednesday.

Dato' Param Cumaraswamy, UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, will also probe allegations of judicial corruption during his July 15-25 mission, a statement said.

He hoped the trip would "contribute to the Indonesian government's efforts toward a greater realization of civil and political rights" and the "more effective functioning of the judicial and legal systems", it added.

Cumaraswamy, a Malaysian lawyer, has asked to meet Indonesia's Chief Justice, Foreign Minister, Minister of Justice and Human Rights and Attorney General among other officials.

He is due to present his report to the next annual session of the UN Human Rights Commission in April 2003.

During his mission, the UN rapporteur, appointed in 1994, is also expected to look into issues of impunity, the legal profession, the prosecution and court system and state of the rule of law.

The Indonesian government representative at this year's Human Rights Commission said they hoped the visit would benefit the country's national capacity building efforts in the field of human rights, the UN said.