Student Executive Body (BEM) of the Law Faculty of Udayana University of Bali learning the authorities of the Constitutional Court and its procedural law on Wednesday (5/2). Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Some 50 students of the Law Faculty Student Executive Body of Udayana Universityvisited theConstitutional Court (MK) on Wednesday (5/2/2020). Constitutional Court Luthfi Widagdo Eddyono welcomed them at the hall of the Constitutional Court.

Lutfi explained that state institutions in Indonesia after the amendment to the 1945 Constitution are equal and there is a mechanism of checks and balances. "There is [no state institution that is] higher [than the others]. The difference is their functions. In the 1945 Constitution before the amendment, the MPR was the country\'s highest institution," Lutfi said. 

Lutfi said the Constitutional Court, which was formed on August 13, 2003, have a number of authorities. The Constitutional Court\'s main authority is to examine laws against the 1945 Constitution. 

"A lot of laws have been reviewed at the Constitutional Court. Since 2003 until today, the number of has continued to increase. For example, the Election Law and the KPK Law are most often reviewed. The same law may be reexamined, both the articles and phrases, as long as there are differences in the touchstones or in constitutional reasons," Lutfi said. 

The next authority of the Constitutional Court to decide disputes over the results of general elections. The Court is also authorized to decide upon the dissolution of political parties. In addition, the Court has the authority to decide on disputes over the authority of state institutions whose authorities are granted by the 1945 Constitution. 

"Then there is another \'authority\' but it is called an obligation, that is, to decide upon the opinion of the House if the president and/or vice president is suspected of violating the law. However, this authority is not said to be binding because after the House\'s opinion is decided by the Court, it will be submitted to the MPR. Then, the MPR will process to determine whether the impeachment continues or not," said Lutfi. 

Lutfi then elaborated on various matters related to the amendments to the 1945 Constitution in 1999 to 2002. "The amendment process of the 1945 Constitution is not uneventful; many events have taken place. For example, the impeachment of President Gusdur was not done legally, but politically. However, the MPR thought it was not good to impeach the president only through a political process. Then the Constitutional Court was formed and given the authority related to the impeachment of the president," added Lutfi. (Nano Tresna Arfana/NRA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti