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Vice President Jusuf Kalla congratulating Constitutional Justice Aswanto as Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Tuesday (26/3) in the Plenary Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Ganie.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Following Law Number 8 of 2011 on the Constitutional Court, Constitutional Justice Aswanto took his oath of office as Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court for the 2019–2021 term on Tuesday (26/3/2019) in the Plenary Courtroom of the Constitutional Court. The oath declaration was chaired by Chief Justice Anwar Usman, with the other seven constitutional justices as well as Vice President Jusuf Kalla and several state other officials in attendance.

Justice Aswanto had been re-elected by the House of Representatives as constitutional justice. He had also took an oath as constitutional justice before President Joko Widodo on March 21, 2019. Then, on Monday, March 25, 2019 a selection of Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court for the 2019–2021 term had taken place democratically in the justice deliberation meeting with nine constitutional justices attending. In the selection, the nine constitutional justice through a series of dynamic, democratic, and congeniality had made a decision to appoint Justice Aswanto Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court for the 2019–2021 term. “Administratively, it has been decided in the Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia Number 3 of 2019 on March 25, 2019 on the Appointment of Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court for the 2019–2021 Term,” Justice Anwar said.

100% Ready 

In his address, Chief Justice Anwar Usman affirmed Court’s preparedness in facing the upcoming 2019 Simultaneous Elections on April 17, 2019. “On that basis, in order to be able to carry out the authority to settle disputes over the election results, I would like to emphasize that we—nine Constitutional Court Justices and all the supporting apparatus of the Constitutional Court—declare [ourselves] 100 percent ready to deal with and handle disputes over the election results, if any petition is submitted,” he said.

Justice Anwar also conveyed the six aspects prepared by the Constitutional Court in dealing with the dispute over election results. Firstly, in the regulatory aspect to support the smooth handling of election results disputes, the Constitutional Court has determined 5 (five) Constitutional Court Regulations. He added, to facilitate the public, especially justice seekers who will litigate in the Court, the regulation regarding the procedure in the election results dispute case is separated into three, or the election of: (1) House members, (2) Regional Representatives Council (DPD) members, and (3) President-Vice President. All of these regulations can be accessed by the public, either through the Court\'s website (www.mkri.id), or in the book The Collection of Constitutional Court Regulations.

Secondly, Justice Anwar added, in the human resource aspect, the Court has managed in such a way the best apparatus, with sufficient experience, competence, and integrity, to support the constitutional duties of constitutional justices. "Through the establishment of Task Forces handling cases of election results disputes, all human resources have been managed in such a way to provide services and effective, professional support to constitutional justices in handling cases," he said. 

Thirdly, in the facilities and infrastructure aspect, the Court has prepared all the requirements for the smooth running of Court hearings. The facilities and infrastructure prepared are aimed at facilitating and providing comfort and expediency to the parties who will litigate in the Court. Fourthly, Justice Anwar explained that for expedient handling of cases, the Court is ready to provide information systems based on technology, information, and communication. IT-based applications have been launched and are ready to use. "Once again, I confirm that all these applications are for all the Indonesian people, justice seekers, to have access and convenience to seek justice based on the Constitution," he said.

Fifthly, Justice Anwar explained that the Constitutional Court had held technical guidance activities for election stakeholders to further understand the technicalities of the proceedings at the Court, particularly in dispute cases over election results. The activities were carried out 40 times targeting election organizers, political parties, legal teams for presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs, as well as advocates. 

Last, Justice Anwar explained that the culture of integrity is continuously applied and developed in all components in the Court. For the Court, integrity is a must. With integrity, the Court will be able to provide the greatest contribution to fair elections. To be able to create a verdict that is of justice, it requires moral integrity and the integrity of the knowledge of constitutional justices. Moral integrity requires the judiciary to be honest, wholesome, and independent justices, while the integrity of knowledge determines the quality of legal considerations in decisions.

Justice Anwar also stressed that even though the Court is prepared to face disputes over the results of the 2019 Simultaneous Elections, it will still resolve judicial review cases. From January to March 2019, the Court has decided 24 judicial review cases. "For the Court, always resolving judicial review cases immediately by maintaining the quality of decisions is an endeavor that we continuously want to show and prove," he said. (Lulu Anjarsari/Yuniar Widiastuti)

 

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