Funeral of 2003-2008 Constitutional Justice H. Ahmad Syarifuddin Natabaya on Thursday (11/07) at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, Jakarta. Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

All constitutional justices and the Constitutional Court family expressed condolences for the passing of 2003-2008 Constitutional Justice H. Ahmad Syarifuddin Natabaya on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 20.05 WIB at Dharmais Hospital, Jakarta. His remains will be interred at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, Jakarta on Thursday, July 11, 2019 at 12:30 WIB, as he had received the Bintang Mahaputra Utama medal on August 17, 2009. Secretary General of the Constitutional Court M. Guntur Hamzah will lead the funeral ceremony. H.A.S Natabaya is survived by wife Artini Nawawi and two children, Ayudia Utami (b. 1970) and Andalia Utari (b. 1972).

H. A. S Natabaya was born in Cempaka, Ogan Komering Ulu, South Sumatra on March 3, 1942. He had been Professor of Law at Sriwijaya University, South Sumatra and Constitutional Justice for the 2003-2008 term.

He spent much of his time in law education. Before earning a law degree from the law faculty of Sriwijaya University (Unsri), Palembang (1967), since 1964 when he had been a student, he had started teaching at his alma mater.

H. A. S Natabaya received a master\'s degree overseas and, not long after, obtained a master of laws (LL.M.) from the Indiana University School of Law Blumington, USA in 1980. He often followed training, one of which is the Internship Training in International Law at Padjajaran University (Unpad) in 1973-1974.

He also received training at The Hague Academy of International Law, Belanda (1981) a s well as the Academy for Educational Development (Program of Observation and Analysis of Government Management System and Techniques), Washington, AS (1993).

He was Head of the National Legal Development Agency (BPHN) of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights for four years (1996-2000) and a Special Staff of the Minister of Justice and Human Rights (2002-2003). For his 20-year and 30-year service, he received two Satya Lencana Karya Satya medals.

H. A. S Natabaya loved playing badminton as a hobby. He was also active in organizations such as the Islamic Students Association (HMI), KAMI, the Association of Indonesian Legal Scholars (PERSAHI). He played a hand in the birth of Law No. 24 of 2003 on the Constitutional Court. The man whose motto was Never too old to learn dreamed of protecting and guarding the 1945 Constitution as a living constitution with his work as a constitutional justice. He realized that constitutional justices were required to always be able to interpret and construct the 1945 Constitution as constitutional methods. (Humas MK)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti