Court welcoming students from Faculty of Sharia and Law of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta and UIN Salatiga on Tuesday (6/23/2026). Photo by MKRI/Bay.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) – 110 students from Faculty of Sharia and Law of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta and the Student Association of the Constitutional Law Study Program of UIN Salatiga visited the Constitutional Court (MK) on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. During the visit, the students were welcomed by Legal Analyst Rio Tri Juli Putranto at the Auditorium of the Court Building I.

During the session, which was moderated by Legal Counselor Arfi Dwi Purnomo, Rio delivered a presentation entitled "Getting to Know the Constitutional Court." He explained that the establishment of the Constitutional Court was one of the outcomes of Indonesia's constitutional reform, aimed at providing a legal mechanism for resolving constitutional issues that had previously been addressed primarily through political processes.

Rio stated that, prior to the amendments to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (1945 Constitution), there had been no institution specifically tasked with safeguarding and protecting the constitutional rights of citizens.

"There was no forum where citizens could seek legal remedies when their constitutional rights were violated, even though those constitutional rights had already been recognized under the 1945 Constitution before the amendments. Therefore, one of the key reasons for establishing the Constitutional Court was to provide a legal mechanism whenever a law is considered contrary to the Constitution," Rio said.

He further explained that one of the major demands of the 1998 Reform movement was the establishment of the rule of law in the administration of the state. This aspiration was realized through the Third Amendment to the 1945 Constitution, which mandated the establishment of the Constitutional Court. The Court was subsequently established through the enactment of Law No. 24 of 2003 on the Constitutional Court.

During his presentation, Rio outlined the five Constitutional Court's authoritries: to conduct judicial review of laws against the 1945 Constitution; adjudicate disputes over the constitutional authority of state institutions whose powers are granted by the 1945 Constitution; decide on the dissolution of political parties; resolve disputes concerning general election results; and decide on the opinion of the House of Representatives (DPR) regarding alleged violations committed by the President and/or Vice President.

According to Rio, judicial review serves as a legal avenue through which citizens may defend their constitutional rights if they believe those rights have been violated by the implementation of a law. Meanwhile, disputes over the constitutional authority of state institutions may only be filed by state institutions whose constitutional powers are directly granted by the 1945 Constitution.

Regarding the Constitutional Court's authority to dissolve political parties, Rio explained that such authority ensures that the dissolution of political parties is carried out through legal proceedings rather than through political decisions, as had occurred in the past.

Rio also explained that the Court's authority to resolve disputes over general election results arose from the need to establish a legal forum capable of settling various electoral disputes and alleged violations arising during the election process.

"In the past, there was no legal mechanism for resolving disputes arising from elections. Therefore, the Constitutional Court was established to ensure the availability of a constitutional and fair legal forum for resolving such disputes," he explained.

Furthermore, Rio emphasized that the Court's authority to decide on the DPR's opinion regarding alleged violations committed by the President and/or Vice President serves as a guarantee of due process of law in impeachment proceedings.

"The Constitutional Court provides an objective legal forum, ensuring that the President or Vice President has the opportunity to defend themselves against the allegations brought against them," Rio said.

During the session, Rio also introduced the Court's Electronic Petition Information System (SIMPEL). According to him, SIMPEL enables members of the public throughout Indonesia to submit constitutional petitions electronically without having to travel to Jakarta. In addition, the public may follow court proceedings online through live broadcasts available on the Constitutional Court's official YouTube channel.

Through this educational visit, the students gained a more comprehensive understanding of the Constitutional Court's history, constitutional powers, and strategic role in upholding the Constitution and protecting the constitutional rights of citizens.

Author              : Ilham Wiryadi
Editor               : Tiara Agustina

Translator         : Mauliza Ara Rizki/Donny Yuniarto

Disclaimer: The original version of this news article is in Indonesian. In the event of any inconsistency between the English version and the Indonesian version, the Indonesian version shall prevail.

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