JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—To prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19, the Constitutional Court (MK) made a protocol and put it into the Circular of the Secretary General of the Constitutional Court Number 11 of 2020 on the Efforts to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) within the Constitutional Court dated March 16, 2020. The circular details the policy the Court make so that it can stay operational as well as safeguard the health and safety of all Court staff members and the community.

Following the decision made in the justice deliberation meeting (RPH) on Monday (16/3/2020), the Court suspended its sessions starting Tuesday March 17, 2020 for two weeks until March 30, unless stated otherwise. After the two-week delay, the policy will be up for an evaluation, taking into account latest development. The evaluation will inform the Court’s next policy. If circumstances allow, Court sessions will resume. The sessions will be re-scheduled and the litigating parties will be notified, following the existing procedural law. The litigating parties who would like to submit a hardcopy of the dossier to the Constitution Case Registration at the lobby of the Court are to access the online petition application services. All case management services are available to the public on www.mkri.id.

All Constitutional Court staff has been instructed to carry out their main duties and functions from home or in shifts, following each work unit’s needs. They are not to leave their home except for urgent matters. Court services that necessitate direct contact with staff are pending, unless stated otherwise. At this time, it is expected that the community utilizes online applications on the website.

The Court also postponed all events that potentially involve crowds, both at the Constitutional Court and other locations. Therefore, collaborative events with many elements of the community such as public lectures, seminars, FGDs, technical assistance programs, coordination meetings, and visits to the Court are pending. All domestic and oversea travels by the justices and staff members are also postponed.

The Court asked for the community’s understanding. The policy was taken to prioritize the safety of all parties without neglecting the Court’s duty to provide optimal services to the community and justice seekers. (HUMAS)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti

Translation uploaded on 3/17/2020