Chief Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat with Secretary General M. Guntur Hamzah welcoming Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) chairman Abdul Haris Semendawai and deputy chairman Lies Sulistiani, Thursday (8/2) in 15^th floor Delegation Room of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Ganie.

Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) chairman Abdul Haris Semendawai with deputy chairman Lies Sulistiani, and Secretary General Noor Sidharta expressed their intention to collaborate with the Constitutional Court. They were welcomed by Chief Constitutional Justice Arief Hidayat and Secretary General M. Guntur Hamzah in the Delegation Room on Thursday (8/2/2018). Abdul Haris expressed LPSK’s hope to synergize its main duties and functions as an institution established to provide protection and assistance to witnesses and victims in the criminal justice process.

This proposal for cooperation was driven by LPSK’s intent for build institutions that are able to create a democratic rule of law along with the Constitutional Court. LPSK views the Constitutional Court as an institution that has already built a pillar of democracy by fighting for the constitutional rights of citizens. Abdul Haris also emphasized that to face the upcoming simultaneous local elections in 2018 and 2019, LPSK saw the large potential for LPSK’s involvement with witnesses to be presented at the Court hearings. 

"In the upcoming Pilkada [regional election], there will certainly be an examination of witnesses who are subject to unfavorable treatment such as intimidation or violence. Therefore, we play a role here in protecting witnesses i. Thus, we feel the need to start this by proposing cooperation with the Constitutional Court to support us as a new institution that also prioritizes elements of justice for citizens," said Abdul Haris. 

LPSK expected the Constitutional Court’s support in optimizing teleconferencing facilities and Pancasila and constitutional education training facilities to facilitate witnesses and victims in investigating cases in the Court.

Chief Justice Arief Hidayat saw the cooperation between the two institutions that born from the Reforms a necessity to build a democratic rule of law. "I strongly support MoU for cooperating and strengthening this good intention. And in this case, as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, I am aware [of this]. The signing [of this MoU] is technically part of the authority of the secretary general," Justice Arief said.

He said that the Court has a stake in the cooperation because the Court needs to present honest witnesses who are able to provide honest testimonies. He also said that teleconferencing facilities and Pancasila and constitutional education training facilities are state facilities that should be shared.

"The Constitutional Court welcomes LPSK’s intention to provide materials at the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center in the future, in order to improve awareness of the citizens’ constitution rights, mainly related to human rights issues. We welcome this cooperation to build a democratic rule of law together," Justice Arief said. (Sri Pujianti)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti