The Constitutional Court received the visit of students from the National University of Singapore (NUS), on Tuesday March 20, 2007, who were lead by Prof. Gary Francis Bell. This activity was a part of the agenda in their study on Indonesian Law at NUS.

On this second visit, NUS sent several students of the students’ exchange program from England, Canada and Australia who are studying at the NUS for one to two semesters. 

The NUS delegation was welcomed by the Head of the Public Relations and Protocol Bureau Agus Prawoto, S.H., M.A. and the Court’s expert staff Fritz Edward Siregar, S.H., LL.M. On this opportunity, Fritz explained about the existence of the Constitutional Court in relation to its functions and authorities. “Indonesia is the 78th country out of a total of 84 countries having a constitutional court” he explained.

Furthermore, Fritz explained that the Constitutional Court has the authority to pass final decisions at the first and final instances, to conduct judicial review on laws against the Constitution, to resolve disputes related to the powers of state institutions vested in them by the Constitution, to make decisions on the dissolution of political parties, and to resolve disputes concerning the results of general elections, and it also has the obligation to make a decision on the opinion of the People’s Legislative Assembly concerning alleged violations by the President and/or Vice President in accordance with the Constitution.

On the question from one of the students concerning the difference between the authority to conduct judicial review given to the Constitutional Court and the one given to the Supreme Court, Fritz explained that the Constitutional Court has the authority to review laws against the Constitution, whereas the Supreme Court reviews regulations against laws. “A Constitutional Court’s decision reversing a law does not automatically invalidate its subordinate regulations” Fritz explained.

The one and a half hour event was ended with the exchange of souvenirs between the Head of the Public Relations and Protocol Bureau Agus Prawoto, S.H., M.A. and the NUS representative Prof. Gary Francis Bell. (Wiwik Budi Wasito)