TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Ex-lawmaker elected new Constitutional Court deputy chief
Justice Hamdan Zoelva, former Crescent Star Party (PBB) lawmaker, was elected on Tuesday as the new Constitutional Court deputy chief, replacing Achmad Sodiki, who retired
Change Size
J
ustice Hamdan Zoelva, former Crescent Star Party (PBB) lawmaker, was elected on Tuesday as the new Constitutional Court deputy chief, replacing Achmad Sodiki, who retired.
The Court is now led by two former politicians, as Chief Justice Akil Mochtar was a former Golkar Party lawmaker.
Both Hamdan and Akil said such political backgrounds would not affect their judgment in handling cases, a year ahead of general elections in 2014.
'A deputy is tasked to help the chief justice in handling managerial matters,' Hamdan said after Tuesday's voting. 'In principle, all nine justices are equal in carrying out their judicial tasks. In terms of
legal arguments and stances, the chief justice and his deputy cannot intervene.'
Taking a similar tone, Akil said that all nine justices dropped their political labels when they first sat as justices.
'[Out political backgrounds] no longer have a correlation here, as we are now justices,' Akil said.
The 2011 Constitutional CourtLaw says the chief justice and his deputy are selected by the nine justices to sit for a two-and-half year tenure.(dic)
