Safeguarding the Independence of Constitutional Court Justice: A Comparative Study of the Mechanisms for Appointment and Term of Office
Menjaga Independensi Hakim Konstitusi: Studi Komparasi Mekanisme Pengisian Jabatan dan Masa Jabatan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31078/jk23210Keywords:
Constitutional Judge, Independence, Term of Office, Appointment Mechanism, Comparative StudyAbstract
The removal of Constitutional Court Justice Aswanto from office by the House of Representatives (DPR)—as the body responsible for his nomination—is a form of politicization of the judiciary that threatens the personal independence of constitutional court justices. The DPR exploited a legal loophole created by the absence of provisions regarding term limits and the technical mechanisms for proposing constitutional court justice positions in the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. This regulatory gap has resulted in non-standardized constitutional practices, where a proposing body could apply varying mechanisms for electing Constitutional Court Justices, thereby creating a dependent relationship between the Justices and their proposing bodies. This situation raises a fundamental question: how does the clarity of constitutional provisions shape constitutional practices regarding the appointment of Constitutional Court Justices and judicial independence? Using a doctrinal research method and a comparative study approach, this study finds that merely amending the constitution to be more detailed is insufficient. Constitutional practices must also be improved by emphasizing the application of democratic values in the selection of Constitutional Court Justices, such as a parliamentary voting-based selection process and corrective mechanisms for the selection of Constitutional Court Justices to maintain their impartiality from the proposing body.
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