Vice President of Republic of Indonesia M. Jusuf Kalla opens International Symposium on Constitutional Complaint (ISCC) officially by beating gong, on Saturday (15/8) at Vice President Palace (Istana Wakil Presiden), in Jakarta. Photo PR/Ganie

Vice President of Republic of Indonesia M. Jusuf Kalla officially opens International Symposium on Constitutional Complaint, on Saturday (15/8) in Vice President Palace, Jakarta. Seventeen countries from Asia, Europe, and Africa present at the symposium which held for commemorating twelve years anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Republic of Indonesia (Mahkamah Konstitusi Republik Indonesia –MKRI). The MKRI focused on constitutional complaint for today’s symposium. “Today, the symposium will discuss on constitutional complaint,” said Kalla during delivers his speech in inaugural event of the symposium. As known, the symposium is taken place in Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta for two days, August 15-16, 2015. Kalla reveals the MKRI is one of the busiest Constitutional Courts in the world because it deals with thousand cases every year. Thus, the MKRI has significant role in improving law system in Indonesia     

The symposium consists of three sessions. The theme of constitutional complaint as protection instrument of citizen’s constitutional rights will be discussed on first session. Second session will discuss on constitutional complaint comparative perspective. Third session will discuss on problems and challenges faced in the handling of constitutional complaint.

Important

Chief Justice Arief Hidayat admits constitutional complaint authority is yet included in MKRI’s authority, “Regulation on constitutional complaint is indeed not mentioned in the 1945 Constitution. The Constitution doesn’t grant constitutional complaint authority to the Constitutional Court. However, it doesn’t mean that the legislator from People’s Consultative Assembly refuses to grant constitutional complaint authority to the Constitutional Court, instead it merely because constitutional complaint is yet considered important during constitution amendment,” explains Arief.

Practically, Arief further says constitutional complaint cases are often occured in Indonesia although the MKRI has not been able to receive it. “To align with the Constitution, People are often file judicial review petition which has similar characteristic with constitutional complaint,” Arief said. (Julie/Prasetyo Adi N)