MOMENTUM TO REBUILD PUBLIC TRUST ON CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 9 (Antara) - The Constitutional Court (MK) is a holder of the country's judicial power along with the Supreme Court, which aims at supervising the law so that it will be enforced based on the Constitution.         As an institution handling the judicial review of a law which is under a dispute, the MK must be manned with clean, trusted and professional judges. They must not be shaken by any promises that aim to influence the MK verdict.         Its image was seriously tarnished when one of its chairmen, Akil Mochtar, was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in 2013 for a bribery case and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014.          After about two years, the MK has been struggling to improve its image and to regain public trust. While it has been gradually regaining the public trust, another case, involving one of its justices Patrialis Akbar who was once again arrested by the KPK for an alleged bribery case, has tarnished it.         "I am advised (by President Joko Widodo or (Jokowi) that the MK should be careful, as the public trust on it has been high, but this case has tarnished it all. We have built a good image, but again, there is (another) case," MK Chairman Arief Hidayat said after delivering a recommendation letter to the president for the temporary dismissal of Akbar as a MK justice.

PERPPU ISSUED TO IMPROVE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT'S IMAGE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 19 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) in a bid to regain public trust in the Constitutional Court (MK) after chairman Akil Mochtar was arrested for allegedly accepting bribes.          "The new regulation (Perpu on MK) is aimed to produce higher quality MK judges," Deputy Minister of Justice and Human Rights Denny Indrayana said on Friday. He was referring to the Perpu signed by the President in Yoyakarta on Thursday evening.          The public confidence in the Constitutional Court (MK) has been seriously shaken since the arrest of the MK chief early this month.        The new government regulation in lieu of law calls for more stringent requirements to be met by candidates for MK judges.          President Yudhoyono said he had enough Constitutional reasons to issue the Perppu to help the MK regain the public's trust after the recent arrest.          The Perppu is mainly concerned with additional requirements and the mechanism for selecting MK judge candidates, as well as on the improvement in the system of controlling MK judges.

MK EXPECTED TO NOT SETTLE ELECTIONS DISPUTES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 6 (Antara) - The Constitutional Court (MK) has been called on to stop handling election disputes following the arrest of its chief Akil Mochtar over an alleged bribe related to a dispute on regional head election.          The right to settle election disputes given to the Constitutional Court (MK) has dragged the country's highest judicial body into practical politics that is prone to intrigues and power abuses.          Deputy House Speaker Pramono Anung Wibowo suggested that the Constitutional Court should return to its authority based on the 1945 Constitution, namely controlling the law from deviating from the Constitution.      According to Pramono, the MK as a state institution which supervises the implementation of the Constitution has actually performed better but on the other hand its right to settle regional head election disputes has dragged it into practical politics.          He said that the authority of the MK was increased with the issuance of Law No. 8 / 2011 on Elections that gave it the right to settle regional head election disputes.          "Thus, the opening gate begins here. Once it involves in practical politics, its senior justice, even if he has grown grey hair and should have no longer lust, could finally be enticed," the Deputy House Speaker said.          Pramono made the remarks in response to the arrest of the MK chairman over an alleged corruption case.