Students of SD Al-Bayan Islamic School showing eagerness in learning about the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK/Dedy.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—The Constitutional Court (MK) welcomed grade schoolers to learn about the Constitutional Court on Thursday morning (17/10/2019). Substitute registrar Anak Agung Dian Onita welcomed the students of SD Al-Bayan Islamic School, Ciledug, Tangerang at the Constitution History Center (Puskon). She explained the authorities, obligation, and role of the Court in the constitutional system in Indonesia.

The atmosphere turned relaxed when Dian explained the material to the young students. “Do you know what the Constitutional Court is?” she asked. “I do,” they answered. Dian smiled and asked again, “What is the Constitutional Court?”

Dian said that the Constitutional Court is different from the Supreme Court. The Constitutional Court is one of the state institutions that exercise independent judicial authority to hold hearings to uphold law and justice. The Constitutional Court, she added, was established on August 13, 2003 with the first Chief Justice Jimly Asshiddiqie and eight other constitutional justices, representing three branches of state power. "Three people were proposed by the President, three people were proposed by the House of Representatives (DPR), and three people were proposed by the Supreme Court (MA), so the total number nine [justices]," she explained.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is a high institution within the Indonesian constitutional system as the holder of the judicial power along with the Constitutional Court. The legal basis of the Supreme Court is the 1945 Constitution, which explains the functions, duties, and authorities of the Supreme Court as a judicial institution.

As regulated in Article 24 of the 1945 Constitution, Dian added, the Constitutional Court has the authority to adjudicate at the first and last level, in which the decisions are final, to examine the law against the Constitution, to decide on disputes over the authority of state institutions whose authorities are granted by the Constitution, to decide the dissolution of political parties, and to decide on disputes over the results of general elections. In addition, the Constitutional Court is obligated to give a decision on the opinion of the House regarding alleged violations of the Constitution by the President and/or Vice President.

Dian also revealed that the Constitutional Court opens all access to information to the public. This is in order to create a transparent and accountable court. "The Constitutional Court [offers] minutes of the sessions, which present information on the court proceedings," she explained. All information related to the Constitutional Court can be found on the Constitutional Court\'s website. (Utami/LA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti