Expert assistant to constitutional justice Mohammad Mahrus Ali welcoming the Indonesian Institute of Education, Garut (IPI Garut), Tuesday (1/24/2022). Photo by MKRI/Bayu.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — Fifty-six students of various study programs and two accompanying lecturers of the Indonesian Institute of Education, Garut (IPI Garut) visited the Constitutional Court (MK) on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at the hall of the Court’s main building. One of the accompanying lecturers stated that they visited the Court to gain more comprehensive knowledge about its main tasks and functions as a judicial institution in Indonesia. The students and lecturers were welcomed by expert assistant to constitutional justice Mohammad Mahrus Ali, who talked about about “The Transformation of Education with Constitutional Awareness.”

In front of the students receiving the Smart Indonesia Program (PIP) scholarship, Ali introduced 10 facts about the Constitutional Court of Indonesia. First, that it was founded on August 13, 2003. This is important as many still mistook it for the Supreme Court (MA). Both institutions, he said, are judicial institutions. It is just that the Constitutional Court was founded post-Reform as a specific institution with constitutional jurisdiction.

Ali also introduced to the students the Constitutional Court’s efforts to instill constitutional awareness in citizens. In 2006, it started organizing a competition where participants write complementary books for elementary, junior high, and high school students (and the equivalent) on constitutional awareness education. In addition, it drafted the 1945 Constitution in various languages such as English, Arabic, Sundanese, Malay, Javanese, and in braille. It also actively publishes books by constitutional justices and employees.

“The Constitutional Court is also referred to as a constitutional campus because it has produced dozens of legal books and case studies on the law and constitutional system of Indonesia. These books can become student literature materials and are available physically and also in digital form,” Ali said.

To keep up with the times and the public’s need for knowledge, the Court has optimized its technology by facilitating up to 50 tertiary institutions with smartboard mini courtrooms. This is so that justice seekers across Indonesia could convene and litigate in the Court without having to come on site. In addition, the Court gives away awards for civic education teachers in Indonesia annually.

Next, to expand its legal role and keep abreast of developments in the global law, the Court also cooperates with various friendly countries to discuss citizen law issues around the world. Ali also said that to reach young people throughout Indonesia, it has social media accounts to spread information to young people who are seek knowledge in the fields of law and government.

Ali introduced to students the Court’s authority and its reviews of laws related to the constitutional rights of citizens. The intensity of judicial review in the Constitutional Court, he said, can be seen from two aspects: citizens’ awareness of their constitutional rights and the quality of legislation.

After his presentation, Ali allowed students to ask questions and give inputs. Anggi, a student of social studies study program, asked about the authority to disband political parties. Ali replied that since its founding, the Court had never exercised its authority to disband political parties as no one had ever filed a petition to the Court. It had only exercised its authority to review laws on political parties. The petition to disband political parties can only be filed by the Government. Political parties adhering to the Quran and Hadith does not mean they are not based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, Ali cautioned. Therefore, citizens should understand the ideology that underlies a political party. 

Writer        : Sri Pujianti
Editor        : Nur R.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

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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