Judiciary the worst in graft: KPK Survey
The Jakarta Post, 5 February 2009
The judiciary has been singled out as the most corrupt of public institutions in Indonesia, while state pawnshops come out the cleanest, a survey by the country's antigraft body revealed Wednesday. The integrity survey was conducted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) between June and September last year. It involved 105 public service units at 40 ministries and institutions at the national level, and 52 at municipal and regency levels across 20 provinces. The survey ranks institutions on a scale of 1-10, where 1 means highly corrupt and 10 means graft-free. The three district courts in West Jakarta, North Jakarta and Central Jakarta were rated lowest, with scores ranging from 2.52 and 4.47. The Finance Ministry's State Treasury Office came in second, followed by the Justice and Human Rights Ministry's Penitentiaries Institution. The study also found the most evidence of bribery in state electricity firm PLN and the National Land Agency (BPN).

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28 Million Will Soon Be in Poverty: Minister
The Jakarta Globe, 11 December 2008
The number of Indonesians living in poverty is set to reach more than 28 million by March 2009, National Development Planning Minister Paskah Suzetta said on Wednesday. That number is expected to climb even higher mid-year when mass layoffs are expected to peak due to the global financial crisis, he said. The government projected 13 percent of the country’s 222 million population would fall below the poverty line by March, when a direct cash aid program to 18.5 million poor households was due to expire. United Nations Development Program country director Hakan Bjorkman, speaking at the same event, said human rights were not always about civil and political rights but also economic rights and the right to secure employment. Poor people have been denied and marginalized in their housing and welfare rights, and they have little access to the legal and justice system, he said.
“For poor people, the denial of human rights is very real,” Bjorkman said.
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Government issues bylaw guidelines
Jakarta Post, 22 July 2008
Jakarta - The Justice and Human Rights Ministry launched a book of guidelines to help regional administrations draft ordinances.
The book comes amid concerns about a series of bylaws that "run counter to higher regulations" and "disrupt the investment climate".The government has revoked 974 bylaws since the introduction of regional autonomy in 1999, Justice and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalata said. "If the process of drafting a bylaw costs, let's say, Rp 20 million (approximately US$2,173), then the country has squandered at least Rp 18 billion," he said at the book launch here Monday. The Justice and Human Rights Ministry will also organize training for trainers to become familiar with the guidelines, starting from Monday. Heads of the legal bureau, legislation committee and legal service divisions under the justice and human rights offices across the country are expected to take part.
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European Union Launches Aceh Justice Resources Centre
The GlobeJournal.com, 18 July 2008
Jakarta - Heads of European Union in Banda Aceh, John Penny officially launched the Aceh Justice Resources Centre (AJRC), Thursday (17/7).
The existence of AJRC aims to increase people's understanding and access to justice. Researches proofed that there are too many Acehnese who don't have information on law and regulation, and complain mechanism to all injustice they experienced daily.
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Lack of papers perpetuates Indonesia's poverty cycle
Jakarta Post, 4 July 2008
Jakarta - The Government must provide poor people with affordable and easy access to the official identity papers that give them rights as citizens, asset holders and workers, a global working group has said.
Proper enforcement of regulations could help poor people break out of the poverty cycle by providing them with greater protection and opportunities, the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor and UNDP said Thursday. "In many cases, poor people are unable to take part in social activities even to get them out of poverty itself, due to, for example, the absence of a valid national ID card or birth certificate," CLEP executive director Naresh Singh said at the launch of the commission's report. In a bid to make the recommendations workable, the group provided examples for the government to follow.
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UN Commission Seeks Legal Access for Poor in Southeast Asia
Voice of America online, 3 July 2008
Jakarta - A U.N. commission is urging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to adopt rules that help poor people get access to the legal system. Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta.
A new report by the U.N. Development Program says four billion people around the world are excluded from the rule of law. The report says people living in the so-called informal sector have no means to protect their business, property, or labor rights. Commission member Erna Witoelar says the Association of Southeast Asian Nations needs to adopt a policy on legal access for the poor, and pressure members to implement reforms. "Even governments needs to be empowered, yeah? People working on these issues can sometimes lose for (to) larger interests, economic interests, personal interests. And so, having a regional compact would strengthen then also the national compact, who (which) then in turn would strengthen the local," said Witoelar.
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BAPPENAS and UNDP Strengthen Capacity of General Courts in Aceh
Berita Sore Online, 20 February 2008
Banda Aceh - National Development Planning Agency Indonesia (Bappenas) and UNDP, together with the Supreme Court of Indonesia and High Court of Aceh, launched Capacity Strengthening Programme for the General Court in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province.
Director of Law and Human Rights, Bappenas, Diani Sadia Wati stated in the launch of the programme in Banda Aceh (19/02) that this programme is a part of the Bappenas and UNDP joint project the Strengthening Access to Justice for Peace and Development in Aceh (Aceh Justice Project/AJP).
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Joint Programme to Strengthen Peace in Aceh
Analisa Online, 13 February 2008
Banda Aceh - National Development Planning Agency Indonesia (Bappenas) and UNDP Strengthening Access to Justice for Peace and Development in Aceh (Access to Justice Project-PKA), worked together with the Supreme Court of Indonesia and High Court of Aceh implementing a two years capacity building programme for the general courts to strengthen general court system in Aceh.
With regards to the programme, PKA will assist the High Court and District Courts in Aceh through provisions of IT infrastructure, electronic case-management system and capacity building initiatives dedicated to improve the courts and personnel effectiveness.
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Indonesian Judicial Condition is Controversial
Media Indonesia Daily, 31 October 2007
Jakarta - The Minister of Law and Human Rights (Menkumham), Andi Mattalata, stated in a celebration of the 62nd anniversary of the Ministry that in general, the legal and justice in Indonesia shows relatively controversial growth. "The number of regulations as well as legal systems and infrastructures shows significant growth. On the other hand, the improvements were not balanced with relevant improvements of moral integrity and profesionalism of the personnels," he added. The Minister also officially launched the Ministry's Communication and Information Centre, which was developed under the cooperation between the Ministry and UNDP.
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The Ministry of Law and Human Rights: Media Centre could be a pilot for other ministry offices
Pelita Daily, 31 October 2007
Jakarta - The Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Andi Mattalata, stated in the official launch of the Ministry's Communication and Information Centre that an existence of a communication and information centre in every department could improve transparency and democratisation in Indonesia. The Communication and Information Centre would be a pilot to other departments.
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Menkumham Launched the Communication and Information Centre
Kominfo Newsroom, 30 October 2007
Jakarta - The Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Andi Mattalata, in the celebration of the Ministry anniversary, which is known as Dharma Karyadhika day, officially launched the Ministry's Communication and Information Centre. The Minister expected that the public maximise the utilisation of the centre to improve public participation in the legislation process and socialisation of Laws and Regulations. Up to 2008, the CIC will be fully supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and managed by a professional team who organises CIC initial programme, infrastructures and trainings.
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Bappenas Designed Legal Advocacy Projects
Suara Karya Online, 20 July 2007
Jakarta - Bappenas launched Legal Empowerment and Advocacy for the Disadvantaged. According to the UNDP Indonesia Country Director, Hakan Bjvrkman, on Thursday the project was a response to the access to justice study in the Province of Maluku, North Maluku, Central Sulawesi and South East Sulawesi and West Kalimantan which was conducted in 18 months in 2006.
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Justice for the Poor Project
Hukumonline, 20 July 2007
Jakarta - Bappenas and UNDP launched two access to justice for the poor projects. However, those two projects would not be realized if there is no improvement in law enforcement and bureaucracy reform. Those who has never had access to justice will now be relief due to the implementation of the two projects, which focus on the vulnerable and disadvantaged people. The projects implemented by BAPPENAS and UNDP are the Legal Empowerment and Advocacy for the Disadvantage (LEAD) and Strengthening Access to Justice for Peace and Development in Aceh (AJP).
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The Poor Should Fight For Their Access to Justice
Sinar Harapan online, 20 July 2007
Jakarta - One of the State obligations is to provide the vulnerable and marginalized citizens with access to justice. Adnan Buyung Nasution, a member of Presidential Advisory Board, stated that in order to open access to justice for disadvantaged people, the people should be given knowledge and awareness of their rights. "Then, the people should be encouraged to fight for their rights," Adnan added in the discussion of "Enhance Access to Justice for the Marginal and Disadvantaged People, which was jointly conducted by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) and UNDP Indonesia.
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Access to justice pursued for poor
The Jakarta Post, 20 July 2007
Jakarta - The government says it will formulate a national strategy to provide access to legal aid and justice for the country's poor through two projects that seek to improve legal literacy levels and provide free legal assistance. An allocated fund of US$10.81 million wiil also be spent on local civil groups that provide free legal aid to marginalized people, establishing justice centers and furthering the reform of law enforcement institutions.
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