Buried, then Revived

Judging by its ruling last week on the issue of questioning House of Representatives (DPR) members facing charges, the Constitutional Court seems to have a very short memory. Three years ago, the Court revoked this same requirement on regional leaders facing corruption charges. Last week, when ruling on a judicial review of an article on questioning DPR legislators, the Constitutional Court revived a rule that had been dead and buried.

The ruling requiring presidential approval to question legislators involved in criminal cases adds to the long list of 'special treatment' for state officials. From Constitutional Court judges and Supreme Court judges to the chairman and members of the board of Bank Indonesia, Supreme Audit Agency officials and prosecutors, none can be questioned in connection with criminal cases without special permission from the highest levels of the executive and legislative banches, such as the president or the attorney general. Now the Constitutional Court has added the DPR to this 'special list'.