Deputy Chief Justice Aswanto closing the constitution awareness program for PPKn Teachers at SMA/SMK and MA/MAK, Friday (11/5/2021). Photo by Humas MK/Teguh.

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Friday, November 5, 2021 | 19:17 WIB

JAKARTA, Public Relations—The constitution awareness program for the citizens (PPHKWN) for Teachers at SMA/SMK (senior high schools/vocational high schools) and MA/MAK (Islamic senior high schools/Islamic vocational high schools) organized by the Constitutional Court (MK) was closed by Deputy Chief Justice Aswanto on Friday, November 5, 2021.

In his speech, Justice Aswanto said constitutional rights are the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, which cover all aspects of daily life. There has been a long debate on human rights versus constitutional rights. He emphasized that basically the human rights adopted into the Constitution are constitutional rights.

He added that the problem faced by the nation and state is whether the guarantees of human rights in the Constitution, which become constitutional rights, have been implemented.

“Are [your] constitutional rights as guaranteed in the 1945 Constitution have been implemented in the nation and state, especially in [your] profession as PPKN teachers for SMA/SMK and MA/MAK? Of course we have to observe this first,” he said virtually from his residence.

He further said that it is hard to talk about the citizens’ constitutional rights and the protection thereof. He believes that the issue regarding unfulfilled constitutional rights is not a matter of what entails constitutional rights but of the way to implement them in the nation and state life as well as in daily life in all profession, including teaching.

“Therefore, the Court initiated the constitution awareness program for the citizens,” he stressed. He said the Court had realized that what is important is first understanding the concept of constitutional rights. As such, teachers of PPKN for SMA/SMK and MA/MAK are important in laying the foundation. Although the basic information has been given at the lower level of education, he believes the SMA/SMK and MA/MAK levels are important to finalize that foundation.

Justice Aswanto also explained the Court’s functions, one of each is the guardian of human rights. “If we talk about constitutional rights, we’ll also be talking about basic rights or human rights adopted in the Constitution,” he said. In accordance with its function as a human rights court, there is an institutional demand that the Court advance the protection of human rights in Indonesia through its authority to review the constitutionality of laws.

This PPHKWN program took place for four days, Tuesday-Friday, November 2-5, 2021 virtually from the Pancasila and Constitution Education Center. Constitutional justices, deputy registrars, and academics will give presentations before 399 teachers on Pancasila and the Constitution, the Constitutional Court and its procedural law, and the drafting of a judicial review petition. The participants also practiced drafting a petition.

Writer        : Utami Argawati
Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 11/8/2021 09:12 WIB

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

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