Judicial Independence vis-à-vis Judicial Populism: the Case of Ulayat Rights and Educational Rights
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31078/consrev614Keywords:
Constitutional Court, Economic-Social Rights, Judicial Populism, Judicial Independence, MajoritarianAbstract
Judicial populism may occur when judicial branches are much more influenced by the interest of people majority. In this context, it is when justices deliver decisions according to what the people wanted and not what it has to be decided by laws. The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia (MKRI) has the pivotal role to protect the Constitution, democracy, and the rule of law principles by adhering judicial independence in the decision making process. This paper aims to briefly find out whether the MKRI decisions on the particular issue of economic and social rights show the tendency of judicial populism and defending judicial independence. A brief conclusion would be drawn from the analysis of the two MKRI’s landmark decisions on the relevant issues of economic and social rights, in particular issues of Ulayat rights and educational rights (Case Number 35/PUU-X/2012 on the judicial review of Law No. 41 of 1999 on the Forest and Case Number No. 13/PUU-VII/2008 on the judicial review of Law No. 16 of 2008 on the Amendment of the Law No. 45/2007 on the State Budget). In a short analysis of both landmark decisions, the MKRI tends to defend its independence in delivering its decision. The Court also shows its consistency in protecting the Constitution by strictly upholding the constitutional values laid down in the Constitution and against the judicial populism. The Court in both decisions shows its constitutional commitment to preserving democratic values of minority-marginalized protection against the dominant-majoritarian interest. In the particular issue of education rights, the Court hinders the fulfilment of educational rights from the elite interest by preserving the constitutional purpose of making priority 20% for the education budget. In general, the MKRI has to guard preventing the Constitution and the rule of law principles, specifically on the issue of the protection of economic-social rights. It upholds judicial independence and put asides judicial populism.References
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Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary Adopted by the Seventh United Nations
Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders held at Milan from 26 August to 6 September 1985 and endorsed by General Assembly resolutions 40/32 of 29 November 1985 and 40/146 of 13 December 1985.
Daintith, Terence. "The Constitutional Protection of Economic Rights." I.CON 2, no. 1 (2004).
Eby Hara, Abubakar. "Populism in Indonesia and its Threats to Democracy." Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research (ASSEHR) 129 (2018).
Fournier, Théo. "From Rhetoric to Action – A Constitutional Analysis of Populism." EUI Working Paper LAW 2018/08, European University Institute, 2017.
Jacome, Jorge Gonzales. "In Defense of Judicial Populism: lessons from Colombia." Int’l J. Const. L,( 3 May 2017). http://www.iconnectblog.com/2017/05/indefense-of-judicial-populism-lessons-from-colombia/
Kimura, Ehito. "Populist Politic in Indonesia." Asia Pacific Bulletin No. 407, East- West Center, 7 December 2007.
Kureshi, Yasser. "What is Judicial Populism and how does it Work in Pakistan?"
www.dawn.com/news/1461194/what-is-judicial-populism-and-how-does-itwork-in-pakistan.
Landau, David. "The Reality of Social Rights Enforcement." Harvard International Law Journal 53, no. 1 (2012).
Liano, Arjana. "Independence of the Judiciary."Juridical Tribune 3, no. 2 (2013): 109 – 115. http://tribunajuridica.eu/arhiva/An3v2/7%20Llano.pdf.
Mietzner, Marcus. "Indonesia’s 2009 Elections: Populism, Dynasties and the Consolidation of the Party System." Lowy Institute for International Policy (2009).
Mietzner, Marcus. "Reinventing Asian Populism: Jokowi’s Rise, Democracy, and Political Contestation in Indonesia." Policy Studies 72 (2015).
Miller, Kenneth P. "Symposium Constraining Populism: The Real Challenge of Initiative Reform." 41 Santa Clara Law Review 1037 (2001).
Mudde, Cas. "The Populist Zeitgeist." Government and Opposition 39, no. 4 (2014).
Nikku, Bala Raju Nikku and Azman, Azlinda. "Populism in the Asia: What Role for Asian Social Work?" Social Dialogue, September 17, 2017.
Plato. "The Republic." http://www.idph.net.
Polybius. The History of Polybius Book Six, in Parentheses Publication Greek Series. Translated by Evelyn S. Shuckburgh. Cambridge, Ontario, 2012.
Pratikno and Cornelis Lay. "From Populism to Democratic Polity: Problems and Challenges in Surakarta Indonesia." PCD Journal III, no. 1-2 (2011).
Rooduijn, Matthijs. "A Populist Zeitgeist?: The Impact of Populism on Parties Media and the Public in Western Europe." Dissertation, University van Amsterdam, 2013.
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Social Contract. Translated by Jonathan Bennett, 2017.
www.earlymoderntexts.com.
Savitri, Laksmi Adriani and Devi Adriyati. "The Demise of Emancipatory Peasant Politics? Indonesian Fascism and The Rise of Islamic Populism." ERPI 2018
International Conference Paper, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) Coin The Hague, Netherlands, 17-18 March 2018 .
Törnquist, Olle. "Stagnation or Transformation in Indonesia?" Economic and Political Weekly XXIIX, no. 50 (13 December 2014).
Walker, Neil. "Populism and Constitutional Tension." Jean Monnet Working Paper 15/17, Symposium: Public Law and The New Populism, 2017.
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Ristawati, R., & Salman, R. (2020). Judicial Independence vis-à-vis Judicial Populism: the Case of Ulayat Rights and Educational Rights. Constitutional Review, 6(1), 110–132. https://doi.org/10.31078/consrev614
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