Rush Job in Judicial Selection
The selection of Supreme Court justice candidates was rushed. The House of Representatives became little more than a rubber stamp.
Rushed selection of Supreme Court justice candidates has raised concerns in Indonesia. The House of Representatives approved 11 candidates and three ad hoc justices in August 2026. While the Judicial Commission submitted 14 names, including career judges, the process has been criticized for being too fast and lacking meaningful debate.
Several candidates were questioned on their qualifications, including one who couldn't explain judicial pardon and pre-trial mechanism. Career judge Albertina Ho was also eliminated. The House's oversight role has become a rubber stamp, with fit-and-proper tests reduced to a political banquet. The spotlight fell on Dhifla Wiyani, who despite leaving politics, deserves scrutiny.
The rush to approve candidates has raised questions about independence and checks and balances. Law No. 3/2009 sets strict requirements for Supreme Court justice candidates, but the selection process should be more rigorous. The public deserves transparency and explanations if all candidates are approved. Judicial independence must be guarded from political influence.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
