Specialist Assistant to the Constitutional Justice, Rosalia Shella, delivered a presentation during the visit of law students from Muhammadiyah University of Bengkulu (UMB) in the Main Hall on the 1st floor of MK Building 1, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Photo by MKRI/Panji

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JAKARTA (MKRI) —  A group of 97 law students from Muhammadiyah University of Bengkulu (UMB) visited the Constitutional Court (MK) on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. The students, who are in their sixth semester, were warmly welcomed by Rosalia Shella, Specialist Assistant to the Constitutional Justice, in the Main Hall on the 1st floor of MK Building 1. In her introduction, Shella provided an overview of the history, duties, and authority of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia (MKRI), which has been in operation since August 13, 2003.

Discussing the Constitutional Court inevitably involves referencing its origins, first introduced in 1919 by Austrian legal scholar Hans Kelsen. Shella explained that constitutional oversight of legislation can be effectively guaranteed if an entity other than the legislative body is tasked with reviewing the constitutionality of legal products. Hence, the need for a specialized institution, known as the Constitutional Court (MK), was recognized.

As societal demands for legal products evolved, including in Indonesia following the third amendment of the 1945 Constitution, Article 24C of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (UUD NRI 1945) was formulated to include provisions on the MKRI. The draft Law on the Constitutional Court was later agreed upon by the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) and was passed in a DPR Plenary Session on August 13, 2003.

"Therefore, August 13, 2003, is the date agreed upon by the constitutional justices as the founding day of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia became the 78th country to establish a Constitutional Court and also the first country in the world to do so in the 21st century," Shella explained.

Shella then invited the students to deepen their understanding of the MK, including its authority and the evolving nature of its role in safeguarding the constitution and protecting citizens' constitutional rights. She discussed one of the MK's main functions—the judicial review of laws—and outlined the criteria and characteristics of the Court's authority in interpreting legislation. She also introduced the constitutional justices who carry out these duties and highlighted resources accessible to the public for learning more about the MK, such as the mkri.id website and social media platforms.

At the end of her presentation, Shella encouraged the students to discuss various aspects of the MK they had learned from media and academic materials. To further familiarize them with the MK, the students were then taken on a tour of the courtroom and the Constitutional History Center on the 5th floor of MK Building 1 in Jakarta.

Author            : Sri Pujianti
Editor             : Nur R.
Translator       : Agusweka P. Siregar (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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