Secretary-General M. Guntur Hamzah giving a speech at the placement of the first Constitutional Court decision from ANRI at the Constitution History Center of the Constitutional Court, Tuesday (11/9/2021). Photo by Humas MK/Ifa.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2021 | 13:22 WIB

JAKARTA, Public Relations—The placement of the Constitutional Court’s (MK) first decision at the Constitution History Center (Puskon) by the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI) and the handing of the Constitutional Court Static Archives to ANRI took place on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at the Constitutional Court.

“We can learn from Japan. Japan’s first Criminal Code is kept very exceptionally, treated in a special way at the Ministry of Justice’s building. This means that Japan’s first Criminal Code is part of national history and is an extraordinary monument. Besides that, it has become a tourism destination [among people] from all over the world who come to the Ministry of Justice of Japan,” Secretary-General M. Guntur Hamzah said.

He also said the French’s Louvre museum holds icons frequently visited by both domestic and international visitors. One of the most famous icon of the museum is the Mona Lisa, a painting that is exhibited in such a way so that it has enormous appeal for visitors.

“Therefore, I hope the Constitutional Court’s first decision can be an icon among visitors, as the first original document of the Constitutional Court’s decision. Everyone who attends this event, especially the Head of ANRI, has made a record in the history of the Constitutional Court. This is an extraordinary effort by the Head of ANRI and his staff to support [the Court], as ANRI rarely approves the relocation of its archives,” Guntur stressed.

Following existing provisions, the document belongs to ANRI and is under ANRI’s supervision. However, it would provide optimum benefits if it is displayed at the Constitutional Court.

Collaboration with ANRI

Guntur added that the event was the results of collaboration and agreement between ANRI and the Constitutional Court to utilize the Court’s static archives, which are state property and are controlled and managed by ANRI based on the provisions of laws and regulations. The archives are the first decree of the Constitutional Court No. 008/PUU-I/2003, the first decision of the Constitutional Court No. 004/PUU-I/2003, the first decision to grant the petition No. 011&017/PUU-I/2003. They are now placed at the ANRI Corner at Constitutional Court’s Puskon.

Those archives are evidence of the Constitutional Court’s history and its monumental decisions, which are familiar among those who love the history of the Constitution in Indonesia. In addition, ANRI can use the ANRI Corner as a means to introduce ANRI and its role as the trustee of the national archives.

The Constitutional Court as one of the creators of state archives has an obligation to submit its static archives to ANRI in accordance with the Archive Law No. 43 of 2009. In 2021, the Court made its 20th submission of its static archives to ANRI, of a total of 35 archive boxes consisting of 68 case files from 2017-2018 (judicial review/PUU and interagency dispute/SKLN), 49 general administration archives from 2003-2013, and 1,002 master CDs containing video archives of the Constitutional Court’s hearings.

The Court also submitted all softcopy of the archives to facilitate users to be displayed on ANRI’s Ruang Baca and online archives. It is hoped that the handover of the Court’s static archives can enrich the ANRI’s collection of static archives as the nation’s collective memory to be used for public interest as optimally as possible.

Writer        : Nano Tresna Arfana
Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 11/11/2021 14:52 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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