Head of the AACC Permanent Secretariat and International Affairs Department Immanuel Bungkulan Binsar Hutasoit and staff members welcoming the Judicial Commission, Thursday (3/21/2024). Photo by MKRI.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Judicial Commission (KY) had an audience with the Constitutional Court (MK) on Thursday, March 14, 2024 in the Court’s third building. The audience was initiated by the commission as part of its agenda to form the ASEAN Judicial Commission Forum.

The Judicial Commission) is planning to establish a declaration of the Judicial Commission in ASEAN, which is expected to be realized by 2028. Therefore, its Cooperation and Interagency Relations Division visited the Court to learn about the Court’s management of its international cooperation, as it has successfully formed the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC).

“We feel that the Constitutional Court has had excellent international cooperation. We want to exchange ideas and discuss preliminary explorations with the Court on establishing initial communication with other countries, especially in Southeast Asia,” said the head of the commission’s Cooperation and Interagency Relations Division.

He also said that this audience with the MK is conducted so that the initial steps taken by the KY do not deviate from international norms and can be accepted by KY countries in the ASEAN region.

This visit from KY was received by the Head of the Permanent Secretariat of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC) and International Affairs Division Immanuel Bungkulan Binsar Hutasoit, The Head of the International Affairs Division Intan Yuri Susanti, The Head of the AACC Permanent Secretariat Division R. A. Indah Apriyanti, Bilateral and Regional Cooperation Analyst Yuanna Sisilia, International Cooperation Analyst Lutfi Yudhistira, and AACC Permanent Secretariat Staff Fuad Subhan.

Immanuel said it took about five years to form the AACC. In 2005, Indonesia participated in initial discussions in Mongolia about the need for a forum to gather constitutional judges in Asia. This idea arose when Constitutional Courts emerged in several countries around 2002.

“In 2007, these discussions were realized. Four countries expressed their agreement to form an association, Indonesia, Korea, Mongolia, and the Philippines. Of course, this work was very challenging, but fortunately, we had Korea as our hardworking partner,” said Immanuel.

After that, a series of meetings were held from 2008 to 2010. These meetings discussed various issues regarding the formation of the organization seriously. Indonesian Constitutional Court judges were intensively present at these meetings to examine them. Among the Indonesian Constitutional Court judges assigned to attend were Harjono (2003-2014), Maruarar Siahaan (2003-2009), and I Dewa Gede Palguna (2003-2020).

According to Immanuel, an important note to emphasize is that when the leadership up to the level of judges supports this idea, we, as the technical preparatory staff, become much more confident in realizing it. Indonesia's involvement in realizing this idea was actually quite simple: to let other countries know that there is a Constitutional Court in Indonesia.

“Then in 2010, we held an international symposium in Jakarta, which was held at the Shangri-La Hotel. At that time, we invited about 10 countries. Where one country was represented by only 2-3 people. Out of the 10 countries that came, 5 of them were from Asia and they also seriously prepared,” explained Immanuel.

In the same year, a meeting to create statutes was also held, attended by countries that had agreed. So, in 2010, the AACC was declared in Jakarta.

“We are proud and happy. Wherever we go, we can apprise that the birth of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts took place in Jakarta,” said Immanuel. 

Author : Mimi Kartika
Editor : Nur R.
Translator : Yuanna Sisilia (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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