Deputy Chief Justice Aswanto officially closing the constitution awareness program for the academic community of Maranatha Christian University virtually, Friday (9/17/2021). Photo by Humas MK/Teguh.

---

Friday, September 17, 2021 | 17:43 WIB

JAKARTA, Public Relations—Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Aswanto officially closed the constitution awareness program for the citizens (PPHKWN) for the Maranatha Christian University, Bandung on Friday evening, September 17, 2021 at the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center, Cisarua, Bogor. He also talked about the guarantee of constitutional rights that the Constitution grants citizens.

“I’d like to stress that there are two interconnected things. First, the guarantee of constitutional rights. second, how the constitutional rights guaranteed by the Constitution can be enjoyed by all Indonesian citizens,” he said in his keynote speech. 

Constitutional Rights

Justice Aswanto said that people come to the Court to fight for their constitutional rights, which might have been reduced by the enactment of a law. Those rights must be implemented well in order to realize the founders’ hopes for a fair and prosperous society. All aspects of the nation and state life are guaranteed in the Constitution.

“The next issue is whether the guarantee is implemented daily as a consequence of a law-based state, not only in the context of rechtsstaat but also a rule of law. When constitutional rights or citizens’ rights guaranteed in the Constitution are undermined or disregarded, the avenue is through judicial review in the Constitutional Court,” he said. The added that the PPHKWN participants should also pursue that avenue if it happens to them.

The constitutional rights are then elaborated through laws. All aspects have been regulated in the legislation. “Therefore, laws should not disregard or violate the citizens’ constitutional rights as guaranteed in the Constitution. To complete the rule of law, after the amendment to the Constitution, the Constitutional Court was established as one of the [products] of the Reform era,” he explained.

Also read: Chief Justice Opens PPHKWN for UK Maranatha 

PPHKWN Presentations Important

The Acting Head of the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center Imam Margono in his closing speech said that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the closing of this PPHKWN, which took place virtually, was able to run smoothly. He also talked about the Constitutional Court in the administration system.

“The Constitutional Court as one of the state institutions formed during the Reform era and through the amendment to the 1945 Constitution was meant as a strategic part in the management of the administration system through the institutionalization of Reform agendas that included democratization, the rule of law, guarantee of the protection of human rights and citizens’ constitutional rights,” he said.

The Court as guardian of the Constitution is responsible to raise public awareness of the Constitution values, which come from the state ideology Pancasila. Imam said that the understanding of the key values of the Constitution will promote public awareness of Pancasila.

He hoped that the participants have understood the speakers’ presentations. “If the participants of the PPHKWN understand the materials that the speakers presented, their understanding of citizens’ constitutional rights will improve,” he said.

Also read: Human Rights and Citizens’ Rights According to Jimly Asshiddiqie

Use of ICT in Court

The day before, on the last day of the PPHKWN, the participants listened to a presentation on “The Use of Information and Communications Technology in Case Handling in the Constitutional Court” by the Court’s Pancasila and Constitution Education Center. The basis for the use of ICT in the Court in handling cases is the Constitutional Court Regulation (PMK) No. 18 of 2009 on Electronic Filing and Remote Examination

“Since 2009, the Court has provided a legal basis for remote hearings. Litigants from the regions do not have to come to the Court, so there is no need for major expense to come to the Court hearings. Through video conference, the Court hold remote hearings in collaboration with several universities in Indonesia. During the pandemic, the Court has been consistent in realizing modern and reliable judiciary by organizing PPHKWN events virtually,” computer staff Mazmur Alexander Manik explained.

He also explained that modern judiciary’s system is based on ICT and advanced mindset and culture, and is committed to having integrity, cleanliness, and reliability. He also explained that internet networking is crucial in supporting the Court hearings and facilitating justice seekers in accessing the services that the Court provides.

The Court’s Center for Information and Communication Technology applies a firewall (Paloalto) in its security system as a preventive measure against any attack on its networking system; e-mail security (Iron Port) to filter the Court’s email system against malwares, viruses, spam, etc; anti-DDoS to prevent DDoS attacks that cause high traffic; and a mirroring server to backup in the event that them main system is down.

He then explained the electronic filing where petitioners can file a petition electronically. A petition submitted this was is received after it enters the Court’s system.

Next, senior programmer Ishak Purnama explained that ICT is aimed at facilitating stakeholders in accessing the Court’s services and applications, for example in filing petition through simpel.mkri.id.

“The petitioners who would like to file a petition online can access simpel.mkri.id through the Court’s website,” he said.

The petitioners and their legal counsels are to create an account before filing a petition online through simpel.mkri.id and to enter their information—full name, phone number, email address, etc. The email is important to activating the account.

On the last day of the PPHKWN, the practice judicial review petitions that the students drafted were evaluated under the assistance of the Court’s research team and the staff of the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center. They then presented their petitions virtually.

Also read: Justice Saldi Isra: Constitution, General Design of State  

The Constitutional Court (MK), in collaboration with the Maranatha Christian University, Bandung, organized a constitution awareness program for the citizens (PPHKWN) four days on Tuesday-Friday, September 14-17, 2021. It was officially opened by Chief Justice Anwar Usman on Tuesday evening, September 14, 2021 from the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center, Cisarua, Bogor. Several speakers gave their presentations in the program.

Writer        : Nano Tresna Arfana
Editor        : Nur R.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 10/3/2021 19:55 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.

---