Constitutional Court researcher Irfan Nur Rachman welcoming students of Kak Seto Home School, Thursday (24/10) at the hall of the Constitutional Court. Photo by Humas MK.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Thirty 7- and 8-grade students of Kak Seto Home School, Pondok Aren, South Tangerang, Banten visited the Constitutional Court (MK) on Thursday (24/10/2019) to learn about the Constitutional Court and practice Pancasila and Civic Education (PPKn) subject. Court researcher Irfan Nur Rachman welcomed them at the hall of the Constitutional Court.

Irfan began his presentation by introducing himself as a researcher that assists the constitutional justices. He then explained the difference between the Supreme Court (MA) and the Constitutional Court (MK) and the authorities and obligation of the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court has an equal position with the Supreme Court. The Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court are both executors of the independent judicial branch of power and are separate from other branches of power: the government and the parliament. Both of these courts have legal status in the capital Jakarta but their structures are separate and completely different from each other. The Constitutional Court as the first and last level of judiciary does not have an organizational structure as large as the Supreme Court, which is the top of the judicial system, whose structure vertically and horizontally includes five judicial environments: the district courts, the state administrative courts, the religious courts, and the military courts.

The Supreme Court is akin to the summit of justice in relation to the demands of justice for individuals or other legal subjects whereas the Constitutional Court does not deal with individuals, but rather with broader public interests. Cases that are tried at the Constitutional Court generally involved state institutions or political institutions that involve broad public interests or are related to judicial review of general and abstract legal norms.

Irfan asserted that the Constitutional Court has four authorities and one obligation: reviewing the law against the 1945 Constitution, resolving authority disputes of state institutions whose authorities are granted by the 1945 Constitution, deciding upon the dissolution of political parties, and deciding upon disputes over the results of general elections. The Constitutional Court is obligated to give a ruling on the opinion of the House (DPR) that the President and/or Vice President are suspected of violations (impeachment).

He added that the constitutional justices must be statespersons. The conditions of their position are stipulated in the 1945 Constitution. One of the conditions is that constitutional justices are statespersons who master the Constitution and constitutionalism. "This requirement is not asked of other state positions in the 1945 Constitution, so it has its own meaning associated with the authorities of the Constitutional Court. Statesmanship can also be interpreted as not allowing to be intervened by anyone," said Irfan in front of the students.

The students also visited the Constitution History Center (Puskon) where received get information and a more complete picture of the history of law and the constitution. (Utami/NRA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti