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UN expert says Indonesian
legal system worse than expected
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Agence
France-Presse
Monday July 22, 12:28 PM
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UN expert says Indonesian legal
system worse than expected
A United Nations investigator has
described Indonesia's legal system as one of the worst he has seen
and comparable only to Mexico.
"I didn't realize that the
situation could be as bad as what I've seen," the Jakarta
Post quoted Param Cumaraswamy, UN special rapporteur on the
independence of judges and lawyers, as saying in an interview.
Cumaraswamy, a Malaysian, is on a
10-day mission to investigate Indonesia's judiciary. He could not
immediately be reached for comment on the report.
Since he arrived on Monday last
week he has met several supreme court judges, Foreign Minister
Hassan Wirayuda, officials of the Attorney General's Office and
leaders of non-governmental organisations.
Cumaraswamy was quoted as saying
that for a country the size of Indonesia and with continuing
economic development, "it is something I feel should never
have allowed to come to this extent."
The rapporteur, who noted a lack of
political will to reform the legal system, will report his
findings to the next annual meeting of the UN Human Rights
Commission in April 2003.
A recent commercial court decision
to declare Canadian-based insurer Manulife bankrupt shocked
foreign investors but was only the latest in a series of bizarre
rulings.
The government is investigating
whether the three judges who passed that ruling -- which was later
overturned by the supreme court -- were bribed.
Foreign investors in Indonesia are
increasingly turning to courts in Singapore and elsewhere in an
attempt to protect their interests.
A group of international creditors,
seeking repayment of a 180 million dollar loan for construction of
the building housing the Jakarta Stock exchange, is considering
seeking a judgement in Singapore.
The main loan documentation was
governed by Singapore law.
In a separate report the Jakarta
Post said only about one in three of Indonesia's judges,
prosecutors and police officers have returned forms declaring
their assets.
"Following the reports we have
summoned the judges to clarify their wealth. Most have failed to
give a logical explanation. Our temporary conclusion is that we
suspect they have other invalid income sources," said Petrus
Selestinus of the Audit Commission on State Officials' Assets.
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