In his keynote address, Chief Justice Suhartoyo, opening the event, emphasizing that protecting citizens' constitutional rights is one of the Court's main tasks.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – The Constitutional Court (MK) held an event to enhance Understanding of Citizens' Constitutional Rights (PPHKWN) for the Legal Aid and Advocacy Institute of the Indonesian Mosque Youth Communication Agency (LBHA BKPRMI) from June 15 to July 3, 2026. The event, which was carried out online through the Constitutional Court Learning Center e-Learning application, was attended by around 290 participants from various regions in Indonesia.

This program is part of the Court's ongoing efforts to raise constitutional awareness among the public, particularly those working in advocacy and legal aid. The program's objectives include improving citizens' understanding of their constitutional rights, establishing a common understanding of constitutional values, and deepening their understanding of the mechanism for reviewing laws against the 1945 Constitution.

In his keynote address, which opened the event, Chief Justice Suhartoyo emphasized that protecting citizens' constitutional rights is one of the Constitutional Court's primary duties. He stated that this protection is achieved not only through the Court's decisions in judicial review cases, but also through various educational programs and increased public understanding of the constitution.

"The Constitutional Court can protect citizens' constitutional rights through its decisions. However, as a preventative measure, the Court also has the task of disseminating information and increasing understanding of citizens' constitutional rights among all levels of society," he explained.

Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court explained that the Court plays a dual role in upholding the constitution, namely through curative and preventive functions. The curative function is realized through the authority to adjudicate cases challenging laws against the 1945 Constitution, while the preventive function is carried out through constitutional education to prevent violations of citizens' constitutional rights.

According to him, an understanding of the constitution must guide every aspect of national and state life. "Understanding the protection of citizens' constitutional rights will always be relevant, wherever and whenever. Therefore, the knowledge gained in this event needs to be used as a guideline and shared with the wider community," he said.

Furthermore, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court assessed that the LBHA BKPRMI participants hold a strategic position as partners with the Court in disseminating constitutional understanding to the public. With their backgrounds as legal aid and advocacy activists, the participants are expected to bridge the gap between constitutional values ​​and the public's need to protect their constitutional rights.

"What you learn from this program should serve as a reference when you are in various forums. Share your understanding of protecting citizens' constitutional rights with everyone," he urged.

In his closing remarks, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court emphasized that the opportunity to participate in this program is not available to everyone. He explained that the Court is very selective in determining participants and the number of programs held each year, given the high level of interest from various community groups.

"Frankly, the Court is very selective in organizing this event, both in terms of participants and the number of participants. If all requests were accommodated, the number would certainly be very large and it would be impossible to fulfill them all," he said.

Therefore, Chief Justice Suhartoyo hopes that all participants will make the most of this opportunity so that the knowledge gained from the speakers can become provisions in strengthening the culture of constitutional awareness and the protection of citizens' constitutional rights within the people.

In her remarks, representing the National Director of LBHA BKPRMI, Amelia Suhaili expressed her appreciation to the Court, particularly the Center for Pancasila and Constitutional Education (Pusdik MK), for their collaboration in organizing the event. She stated that this event is a crucial tool for improving the quality of human resources, who possess a strong understanding of the constitution and are able to implement it in their lives within society, the nation, and the state.

"We express our gratitude for the collaboration with LBHA BKPRMI and our appreciation to Pusdik MKRI for providing this valuable opportunity to the participants," she said.

Amelia also reminded all participants to fully engage in the entire learning process. She believes the material presented by the speakers is crucial, not only for developing personal capacity but also for supporting participants' role in providing legal and constitutional education to the public.

"Let's participate in this program seriously and wholeheartedly. The knowledge gained will be very beneficial for ourselves, our organizations, and the wider community. The best knowledge is knowledge that provides benefits," she said. She hoped participants would become agents of dissemination of constitutional values ​​in their respective communities.

Author           : Fauzan F.

Editor            : N. Rosi.

Translator     : Donny Yuniarto

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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