The Team For Accelerating Legal Reform Will Prioritize Community Participation

JAKARTA - The team to accelerate legal reform formed by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD in his work will prioritize public participation.

Bivitri Susanti, a member of the Working Group for the Reform Sector of Legislation of the Legal Reform Acceleration Team, explained that public participation will become a paradigm and teamwork mechanism, especially its working group.

What is clear is that we want to use a paradigm of public participation. Related to that, we also agree as a work mechanism. We want to be as transparent and accountable as possible, and this will be facilitated by both the Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Law and Security and Partnership as partners," said Bivitri Susanti as reported by ANTARA, Friday, June 9.

Bivitri explained that the current problem of public participation is still considered inadequate, especially in the process of forming laws. As a result, protests and demonstrations often occur in the process of establishing several laws, such as the Job Creation Act, Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP), and the KPK Law.

"So far, there have been more complaints from civil society, (they) want to participate, that's why demonstrations, demonstrations of all kinds, because the channels are closed," said Bivitri, who is also a Jentera Constitutional Law Expert, answered ANTARA's question when met after a press conference.

Therefore, Bivitri conveyed that his party intends to meet with various civil society organizations while working with the Working Group for the Reform Sector of Legislation of the Legal Reform Acceleration Team.

"We, along the way, want to provide progress to the public, if there are documents that we can share, we will share. So that is a form of public accountability," he said.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD on May 23 formed a Legal Reform Acceleration Team to overcome various legal problems in the country.

Mahfud, during a press conference on the sidelines of the meeting, explained that the Legal Reform Acceleration Team was formed due to various legal issues found in the judiciary and law enforcement sectors, as well as in other sectors such as agrarianism, natural resource management, land, corruption, and the establishment of legislation.

However, Mahfud emphasized that the Legal Reform Acceleration Team did not discuss cases per case, but rather a long-term solution to various legal issues in Indonesia.

This team will produce academic papers and a series of laws and regulations. But don't get me wrong. The results will still be channeled to authorized institutions. What must be issued by law will certainly be included in the National Legislation Program (national legislation program)," said the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, who is the Steering Committee for the Acceleration of Legal Reform.

The team, whose formation is regulated in the Decree (SK) of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Number 63/2023, consists of directors, chairmen, deputy chairmen, secretaries, and four working groups, namely the Working Group for the Reform Sector of Legislation Regulations, the Reform Working Group of the Judiciary and Law Enforcement Institutions, the Legal Reform Working Group of the Agrarian Sector and Natural Resources, and the Corruption Prevention and Eradication Working Group.

Mahfud said the working period of the Legal Reform Acceleration Team was until December 31, 2023.