Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Special Plenary Session of the 2020 Supreme Court Annual Report, Wednesday, 17 February 2021, from the State Palace, Jakarta

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Peace and prosperity be upon us all,

Om Swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of virtue.

Honorable Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia;

Honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Muhammad Syarifuddin, Deputy Chief Justices and all ranks of Supreme Court Justices;

Honorable heads and members of state institutions;

Honorable Heads of the Supreme Courts of friendly countries;

Your Excellencies Ambassadors of friendly countries;

Honorable Ministers of Indonesia Onward Cabinet;

Honorable judicial citizens throughout the country;

Esteemed guests.

The global health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the entire order of life, encouraging the adoption of new methods, including the administration of justice. Judiciary administrators are forced to transform faster, the pandemic requires us to work with new ways to comply with health protocols, reduce face-to-face meetings and prevent crowds. We do this new way of working by accelerating the use of information technology, both in the form of e-Court and e-Litigation, so that services to justice seekers are not disrupted and the quality of decisions is maintained.

I noted that before the pandemic, the Supreme Court already made big plans to use information technology in the judicial system. The pandemic has actually accelerated the realization of this grand plan, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has conveyed many earlier.

The momentum of this pandemic can be used to carry out a fundamental transformation in fundamental ways. Breakthroughs by judicial administrators are vital, to prove that our justice system is able to adapt quickly. Continue to innovate in order to provide faster and better services to the community. Earlier, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has also shared the percentage figures.

But I would like to remind you that accelerated use of technology is not the final goal, it is an entry point for a broader, greater transformation in the administration of justice, to accelerate the realization of a modern justice system.

Honorable invitees,

The Government shows the highest appreciation to the efforts made by the Supreme Court to expand the implementation of e-Court and e-Litigation in criminal cases, military criminal cases and jinayat (Islamic criminal law) cases, as well as to upgrade the verdict directory.

I am also elated, because the settlement of cases through the e-Court application has received a very good response from the justice-seeking community. And compared to 2019, the number of cases registered through e-Court in 2020 has increased by 295 percent and 8,560 cases went on trials via e-Litigation. The application of information technology in the judicial system at the Supreme Court has proven to significantly improve the performance of judicial administrators. The highest number of cases received in history, the highest number of cases decided in history, of course this can be done without reducing the quality of decisions.

I hope that the Supreme Court will improve the quality of the e-Court application, including the standardization of obligations of the parties, online examination of witnesses and experts, a copy of verdict (e-Verdict), as well as expansion of the e-Court application for special civil cases.

Honorable guests,

Efforts to carry out judicial reform through the application of a modern justice system are imperative. As a bastion of justice, the Supreme Court can create legal certainty for the public, business actors and investors through decisions that reduce disparity in punishment. With an improved performance and reputation, the Supreme Court can produce landmark decisions in exploring the values and sense of justice of the community, so that the judiciary becomes an increasingly trusted institution.

This concludes my remarks on this auspicious opportunity.

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. (FI/LW)