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New chief justice Syarifuddin takes his oath to lead Supreme Court
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Muhammad Syarifuddin wears a mask before taking his oath to serve as the new Supreme Court chief justice. (Presidential Palace Press Bureau/Muchlis Jr)
M
uhammad Syarifuddin is officially at the helm of the country's highest court after taking his oath to serve as the new Supreme Court chief justice before President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the State Palace on Thursday.
Syarifuddin, formerly the court's judicial division deputy head, is set to lead the Supreme Court for the next five years until 2025, replacing his predecessor Hatta Ali, who was due for retirement next month after previously serving two terms at the court.
The 65-year-old career judge won the majority vote with 32 votes during an election held in a plenary meeting attended by 47 Supreme Court justices on April 6. The other candidate, Andi Samsan Nganro, received 14 votes.
Read also: Heavy task awaits new Supreme Court chief to tighten monitoring of judges
Many believe Syarifuddin faces a great challenge, as he is expected to restore public faith in the country’s judicial system by imposing stern sanctions against judges who violate its code of ethics, an issue that Hatta was criticized for during his term.
In 2019, the Judicial Commission recommended sanctions against 130 judges who allegedly violated the code of ethics, a staggering increase from the 37 judges who received sanctions in 2018.
Also on Thursday, Manahan Sitompul took his oath as a Constitutional Court justice for his second five-year term before the President. Manahan's first term ended on April 28.
