The MKRI delegation, led by Constitutional Justice Manahan M. P. Sitompul, also meeting with the Chairman of the Judicial General Council of Mongolia Zumberellkham Dorjdamba, Monday (11/28/2022). Photo by MKRI/MMA.

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Friday, December 2, 2022 | 16:44 WIB

ULAANBATAAR (MKRI) — Continuing the official visit in Mongolia, the delegation of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia (MKRI) led by Constitutional Justice Manahan M. P. Sitompul also met with the Chairman of the Judicial General Council Mongolia, Zumberellkham Dorjdamba, at the General Council of Mongolia on Monday, November 28, 2022.

During the meeting, Justice Manahan also talked about the oversight of judges/justices in Indonesia and the position of the Judicial Commission in the Indonesian administration. “Just as the Constitutional Court, the Judicial Commission was also founded after the amendment to the 1945 Constitution. Its main duty is external oversight in order to maintain the dignity, respect, and conduct of judges,” said the Supreme Court-endorsed justice. He also asked about the judicial power and independent judiciary in Mongolia, which is the jurisdiction of the Judicial General Council.

Dorjdamba explained that his institution serves to oversee judicial independence. “The Judicial General Council is regulated by Article 49 paragraph (3) of the Constitution of Mongolia of 1992. This institution serves to guarantee judicial independence in the selection of judges, the protection of the constitutional rights of judges, and other matters for judicial independence,” he said.

He also explained that the Judicial General Council is similar to Indonesia’s Judicial Commission, but it does not oversee the enforcement of the code of ethics of judges who allegedly committed unlawful acts. “The enforcement of the code of ethics or the imposition of punishment on judges who violate the law are implemented by a separate institution. This change occurred after the constitutional amendment of 1992. It is a milestone in the foundation of the Constitutional Court of Mongolia,” he revealed.

Justice Manahan then talked about the MKRI’s decisions on the Judicial Commission, which affected its authority in overseeing constitutional justices. “The Constitutional Court interpreted justice oversight by the Judicial Commission in Indonesia. The decision became a reference on the oversight of judges and constitutional justices,” he said.

Cooperation with Equivalent Institutions

After listening to Justice Manahan’s explanation, Djordamba expressed his wish to cooperate with equivalent institutions, such as the Judicial Commission of Indonesia, in order to expand this institution’s network and to develop its capacity. “We are delighted by the arrival of a constitutional justice in Mongolia. We can exchange experience and ideas on the judiciary that is free from intervention and is independent, so we would like to cooperate with Indonesian institutions that have similar authority, such as the Judicial Commission,” he revealed.

Djordamba said such cooperation would be important to the Judicial General Council of Mongolia because of the rapid development of powers in democracies. Justice Manahan also said that such cooperation would be possible. The meeting was concluded with an exchange of tokens between the two institutions. Djordamba hoped that the good relations between Indonesia and Mongolia would bring positive impacts on the enforcement of the law, democracy, and judicial independence.

Writer        : M. Mahrus Ali
Editor        : Lulu Anjarsari P.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Translation uploaded on 12/5/2022 15:13 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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