Fourth-semester students from the Faculty of Sharia, Law, Economics, and Islamic Business at Ma'arif Lampung University (UMALA) visiting the Constitutional Court (MK) on Tuesday (07/02). Photo by MKRI/Ifa.

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JAKARTA, HUMAS MKRI – A group of fourth-semester students from the Faculty of Sharia, Law, Economics, and Islamic Business at Ma'arif Lampung University (UMALA) participated in a constitutional discussion with Expert Assistant to the Constitutional Justice Abdul B. Fuadi in the Delegation Room, Building 1 of the Constitutional Court (MK) on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Dean Wiwik Damayanti mentioned the students' visit as an effort to enhance their understanding of the constitutional justice system in Indonesia.

"Meeting legal practitioners at the Court offers a new experience for students, motivating them to study more diligently and to grow personally and academically, particularly in understanding law, constitution, and state governance," said Wiwik, who was present with several faculty advisors.

In welcoming the students, Fuadi delivered a presentation titled "Mahkamah Konstitusi (Constitutional Court)," inviting them to explore MK's role in Indonesia's state governance system. To enliven the discussion, Fuadi engaged several students in a simulation illustrating how the constitution integrates into daily life in Indonesia. This involved assigning roles such as food seekers, water gatherers, clothing providers, etc.

"Through these role illustrations, we truly learn how the constitution signifies understanding our own roles in nationhood. Analogous to the governance system of a state, the diverse roles are reflected in the institutions' responsibilities, functions, and authorities. This includes the role of the Court in interpreting and safeguarding the constitution to uphold the constitutional rights of citizens as mandated by laws under the 1945 Constitution," stated Fuadi.

Fuadi then discussed various aspects related to the institutional framework of the Court, ranging from its authority, requirements to become a constitutional justice, parties eligible to file petitions, to the process of submitting case petitions. Fuadi mentioned that even individual citizens, including students, can submit petitions to the Court, either online through the simpel.mkri.id  website or by visiting the court in person. The petition process can be learned easily and quickly by studying previous cases that are accessible to anyone on the mkri.id website. By following the cases previously filed by petitioners, new petitioners can strengthen their constitutional arguments when submitting a case.

Rights Protected by the Constitution

During the Q&A session, a student raised a question about the Court's decisions on interfaith marriages and the status of children born out of wedlock. In response, Fuadi explained that the context of these decisions primarily concerns the state's commitment through the constitution to protect children's rights under civil law, such as educational support and others. "Here, the Court does not determine the status of children born from such marriages, but rather focuses on ensuring that the constitutional rights of these children are protected by the state as stipulated in the constitution," stated Fuadi.

Author              : Sri Pujianti
Editor               : Lulu Anjarsari P.
Translators       : Naomi Andrea Zebua/Rizky Kurnia Chaesario (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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