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Sunday, May 30, 2021 | 15:15 WIB

Deputy Chief Justice Aswanto closing a brainstorming event with the customary law/local community figures of the constitution villages on Sunday (30/5/2021) in Tangerang. Photo by Humas MK/Panji.

BANTEN, Public Relations—The Deputy Chief Justice of Constitutional Court (MK) Aswanto closed the brainstorming event with the customary law/local community figures of the constitution villages on Sunday afternoon, May 30, 2021. He hoped that the constitution villages not only cooperate with the Court on paper, but also provide their inputs to enlighten the Court. In contrast, the villages must also educate their residents on their constitutional rights.

“The constitution villages will be role models for other villages. Therefore, we hope that they are able to give their best by contributing to the resolution of customary law disputes. We need to support each other,” he said.

He added that the Court must be really selective in choosing the next constitution village, because they will reflect Indonesia.

“What happens in the constitution villages is a portrayal of what happens throughout Indonesia. They will become replicas of Indonesia that provides information on what is going on in the villages. Therefore, they will be able to provide solutions to the issues that happens regionally, even nationally,” he said.

Justice Aswanto also talked about an international event that the Court will hold in Bali in 2022. “The Constitutional Court of Indonesia is relatively new, but [thank God], many other constitutional courts have referred to it. The constitution villages have also provided their contribution to the court and they are our partners. Therefore, we have to preserve and guide these villages. We will try to invite representatives of these villages,” he revealed.

Ending his remarks, the deputy chief justice said that the Court is a transparent greenhouse, as everything that happens in the Court is publicly accessible.

The three-day event was followed by 35 participants from three constitution villages: Gaelasong Village in Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi Selatan; Kampung Wasur Village in Merauke Regency, Papua; and Bangbang Village in Bangli Regency, Bali.

Also read: Chief Justice: Brainstorming Leads to Synergy and Coordination

Issues of Customary Law Land

On the second day of the event, the issues that the constitution villages had faced were discussed along with their solutions. Constitutional Justice Saldi Isra delivered a presentation on the latest constitutional issues and the Constitutional Court. He said that many issues were disputes over customary law land. He hoped the constitution villages could provide some inputs on such issues in their regions.

“After the issues are written down, we can find out and even learn from other villages. It could help the Court should other petitioners lodged petitions on land disputes. In addition, after the disputes are resolved, they can be made into a book that the Court refers to,” he said.

After listening to the villages’ recounts of their village’s issues, Secretary-General M. Guntur Hamzah said that the villages would coordinate with the Law and Human Rights Ministry through the Court and coordinate with the secretary-general of the Supreme Court regarding customary law justice.

He also said that the constitution villages would learn about each other’s practices. “We will also translate the 1945 Constitution into local languages. However, it must consider the culture of the village. It is crucial because after [the Constitution] is translated, the people will be able to understand it more easily,” he added.

Writer        : Panji Erawan
Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 5/31/2021 11:33 WIB

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian version, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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