Why is minister meddling?

Why is minister meddling?

The Supreme Court has made a super-quick decision. Only 22 days after the Commercial Court declared life insurance company, PT Asuransi Jiwa Manulife Indonesia, bankrupt, the Supreme Court settled an appeal to overturn that ruling.

The Supreme Court approved PT Asuransi Jiwa Manulife Indonesia's appeal, annulling the commercial court's decision and rejecting a bankruptcy lawsuit filed by PT Dharmala Sakti Sejahtera.

The commercial court declared PT Asuransi Jiwa Manulife Indonesia bankrupt on June 13, sparking strong pressure from the Canadian government. What was worth noting is that two of the commercial court judges declared the insurance company bankrupt, while the chief of the panel of judges had another opinion.

The decision had since sparked a controversy, leading the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to investigate the three judges.

The probe focused on suspected bribery and other possible criminal offenses involving the three judges. Yet the probe has been run in an awkward manner because it is limited to the authority of the ministry -- the violation of regulations on civil servants. If proven guilty, the three judges will only be given administrative sanctions. Strangely, the case seems to be criminal in nature, yet it has not been transferred to the police or the Attorney General's Office. Why is the justice minister meddling in the case?

In performing their duties, judges are undoubtedly protected by law. They can not be influenced by other people and are free to decide any case. Yet they are not angels.

We must say that judges are the subject of law since nobody is above another before the law. It would be unreasonable to probe the suspected bribery only due to the violation of personnel regulations.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta