TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ethics Council of the Constitutional Court or MKMK did not only dismiss Anwar Usman from his position as Chief Justice because of a conflict of interest. President Joko Widodo or Jokowi's brother-in-law was also found to have opened up space for outside intervention in the Constitutional Court’s decision Number 90/PUU-XXI/2023 on the requirements for presidential and vice presidential candidates.

MKMK Chairman Jimly Asshidiqie refrained from revealing the parties involved in the intervention of the ruling, which was issued by Solo Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka's uncle. “Not everything needs to be revealed. Surely, this is the reason why we dismissed his chairmanship,” Jimly said in the MK Building I on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023.

According to him, the intervention was not necessarily the initiative of the intervening party, which he considers a feudal culture. "But it exists, it is actually a common practice in many places," he added.

Jimly stressed that judges should not be too close to both businessmen and politicians. However, he stopped short of mentioning whether the parties who intervened in Anwar Usman's case were from these two groups. “That's why the judge must be alone.”

Although refusing to explicitly reveal the figure, Jimly said the intervention endangered the independence of the judiciary. “I can't reveal it,” he said.

The MKMK decided on Tuesday, Nov. 7, that nine MK judges had violated the code of ethics and conduct for judges as stated in the Sapta Karsa Hutama, the principles of independency, impartiality, integrity, decency and courteous behavior, equality, ability and accuracy, as well as wisdom and prudence.

Therefore, the MKMK imposed a collective verbal warning sanction on the reported judges.

HAN REVANDA PUTRA

Editor's Choice: All Constitutional Judges Commit Ethical Violation, MKMK Imposes Verbal Warning Sanctions

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