Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) is concerned that revisions to the Constitutional Court Law (UU MK) are being used as a tool for political barter by the government and the House of Representatives (DPR).
“We have picked up or we are concerned that there is alleged political bartering in the current revisions to the Constitutional Court Law”, said ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana at a press conference on Friday August 28.
Ramadhana explained that this suspicion is because the revisions will benefit Constitutional Court justices because it will no longer set restrictions the length of judicial terms.
In addition to this, the revision will also increase the minimum age for constitutional justices from 47 years to 60 years where several Constitutional Court justices are currently over 60 years of age.
The government and the DPR meanwhile have an interest in this because the Constitutional Court in currently dealing a number of judicial reviews on controversial [and unpopular] legislation.
“The government and the DPR would certainly want a [favourable outcome] in the judicial reviews related to the UU KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission Law] and later the [Omnibus Law on] Job Creation if it is ratified by the DPR”, said Ramadhana.
“They would defiantly want the MK to reject these [judicial reviews]. There we can see or we are concerned that this is a commodity or that the RUU MK will be used as a political barter”, he continued.
ICW is concerned that the revisions to the Constitutional Court Law will influence the objectivity of justices in handling judicial reviews.
“The substance of the revisions to the Constitutional Court Law will benefit almost all MK justices. In conducting formal tests [of laws], it will be difficult for the public to trust that the hearing process will proceed objectively”, said Ramadhana.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “ICW Khawatir Revisi UU MK Jadi Alat Barter Politik”.]
