Arsul Sani taking oath as a constitutional justice at the State Palace, Thursday (1/18/2024). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

---

JAKARTA (MKRI) — Arsul Sani took his oath as a constitutional justice before President Joko Widodo at the State Palace on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at around 10:00 WIB. He was sworn in based on the Presidential Decree (Keppres) No. 102/P of 2023 on the dismissal and appointment of constitutional justices proposed by the House of Representatives (DPR). He replaced Wahiduddin Adams, who entered into retirement after serving two terms in 2014-2019 and 2019-2023.

“By God, I swear that I will fulfill my obligations of chief justice of the Constitutional Court to the best of my abilities and in the fairest of manners, uphold the 1945 Constitution, and strictly observe all laws and regulations as prescribed by the 1945 Constitution, and to devote myself to the country and the people,” he stated.

Arsul Sani was appointed by the House. Following the Constitutional Court Law, before serving their duties, constitutional justices take oath before the president. After the inauguration, the Court will hold a farewell ceremony at 13:30 WIB in the plenary courtroom.

Arsul’s predecessor, Wahiduddin Adams, retired at seventy years of age. Arsul was born in Pekalongan, Central Java Province on January 8, 1964. Before serving in the Constitutional Court, he was deputy speaker for House Commission III as well as deputy speaker for the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR). He entered the House as a member of the United Development Party (PPP).

He stressed that he had resigned from the House and the MPR in the first week of December 2023. He also resigned from PPP in the same month. This is in line with the Constitutional Court Law, which stipulates that a constitutional justice cannot concurrently serve as a state official or a member/manager of a political party.

Arsul, who used to be an advocate, also revealed that he had resigned from his post as the vice chairman of the advisory board of the national executive board of the Association of Indonesian Advocates (DPN Peradi). He has also resigned from the law firm where he was a partner.

He finished compulsory education in his hometown, Pekalongan. He then enrolled in the Law Faculty of Universitas Indonesia. Next, he got a master’s degree at the London School of Public Relations, then finished his doctoral degree in justice and policy at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Arsul emphasized that he would maintain independence and impartiality as a constitutional justice. This is also part of the effort to improve public trust. “I believe that with unity and solidarity among the constitutional justices under the leadership of His Excellency dr. Suhartoyo, [public] trust will rebound. This also requires support from all stakeholders and the press,” he said during a Q&A session with the press at the State Palace.

On the same day before the inauguration, he had launched a book alongside former constitutional justices Wahiduddin Adams and Manahan M. P. Sitompul at the lobby of the plenary courtroom of the Constitutional Court. His book is entitled “Keamanan Nasional dan Perlindungan HAM: Dialektika Kontraterorisme di Indonesia” (National Security and Human Rights Protection: The Dialectic of Counterterrorism in Indonesia).

Author       : Mimi Kartika
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.

---