The Constitutional Court (MK) invited Members of the Asian Law Institute (ASLI) comprising the Deans of the Faculty of Law throughout Asia to attend the Board of Governor’s Meeting at the assembly hall of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia (MKRI), on Wednesday (23/5). Asides from being a gathering forum for law academicians throughout Asia, this event was also intended for introducing the Constitutional Court as a relatively new judiciary institution in Indonesia.

This event was attended by the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Prof. Dr. Jimly Asshiddiqie, S.H., Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Prof. Dr. H.M. Laica Marzuki, S.H., the Secretary General of the Constitutional Court Janedjri M. Gaffar, the Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Indonesia (FHUI) Prof. Dr. Hikmahanto Juwana, S.H., LLM., and Deans of law schools throughout Asia, including from China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and Thailand.

In his opening speech, Hikmahanto stated that Indonesia still has so many efforts to be made in order to improve its legal sector. “Thus, the Constitutional Court can become a shining example for the other judiciary institutions in improving the condition of law in this country” he said.

Asides from that, Hikmahanto continued, Indonesian legal education circle should be proud of themselves because five out of the nine current Constitutional Justices are academicians.

Meanwhile, in his speech, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court said that the cooperation nurtured among law schools throughout Asia should not be limited to research, but it should also include other legal fields, such as building the culture of rule of law in the national live. According to Jimly, Asian nations have not yet prioritized the rule of law as they are still focusing on the values of collectivity, national leadership and exemplary.

“The challenge for the legal sector in Asia is to cooperate in developing research that can encourage the implementation of the principles of constitutional living and the rule of law in Asia” explained Jimly.

In order to do so, Jimly took this opportunity to say that the Constitutional Court will open itself up to any kind of cooperation whatsoever with law schools in Asia to develop the rule of law in living as a state and nation. (Wiwik Budi Wasito)