Indonesia-Australia Judicial Cooperation Continues to Focus on Access to Justice for Women and Growth Initiatives
After more than 20 years in partnership, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia, the Federal Court of Australia, and the Family Court of Australia signed memorandum of understanding on July 31, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. This ninth memorandum of understanding also marks a bilateral commitment to promote increased access to justice, especially for women and children, as well as improved judicial systems that promote economic growth.
"Regardless of the differences in language, legal systems, and the political relations of the two countries which fluctuate due to various factors, the courts engaged in this cooperation can still communicate well and work productively ......in principle every court aims to uphold supremacy of law ...," said Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia M. Hatta Ali in the opening ceremony of the signing.
The signing of this memorandum also opened up an opportunity for members of the Supreme Court to observe good practices from Australia. “This is a very important meeting. The cooperative programs discussed here are relevant to the needs of each court. The opportunity to directly observe courts’ practices here (in Australia) also gives us inputs for improvements in Indonesian courts,” said Amran Suadi, Head of Religious Affairs Division at the Indonesian Supreme Court.
To ensure that every judge understands and is able to guarantee gender equality in handling lawsuits, the Supreme Court established on July 11, 2017 a Supreme Court Regulation (Perma) no. 3/2017 on Guide to Adjudicating Cases of Women in Conflict with the Law. The presence of this Perma is a breakthrough in diminishing discrimination against women in the judicial process (whether as witnesses, perpetrators and/or victims). The follow-up of this Perma, in the form of extensive socialisation and its application in court, became part of the discussion of a memorandum of understanding with the Family Court of Australia.
In the memorandum of understanding with the Federal Court of Australia, the Supreme Court will establish dialogue, share knowledge and experiences including on best practices of the courts’ system contribution to business growth. Amongst other topics discussed are the execution of court decisions (civil law), bankruptcy system, and effectiveness of handling cases related to economy and trade by utilizing existing resources on the Federal Court Australia and its own network.
As a follow-up to the signing meeting, AIPJ2 will assist the Indonesian Supreme Court to complete the joint work plan of the two courts in Australia.
