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Review: Judicial Dysfunction in Indonesia
REVIEW: JUDICIAL DYSFUNCTION IN INDONESIA
DINA AFRIANTY*
Review of Simon Butt, Judicial Dysfunction in Indonesia (Melbourne University
Publishing, 2023, ISBN 9780522879919)
Just days after Prabowo Subianto took the oath as Indonesia's eighth president
on 20 October 2024, his administration is already facing pressure over the subject
of judicial reform. A former official at the Supreme Court has been implicated in
a bribery case tied to the acquittal of a lawmaker's son in a prominent Surabaya
murder trial.1 This revelation follows the arrest of three judges at the Surabaya
District Court.2
The sums involved are staggering. The defendant's lawyer offered AUD5
million to influence the outcome, with the official personally set to receive AUD1
million. Investigators uncovered that he had been acting as a 'case broker'
(makelar kasus) since 2012, even after retiring in 2022. A search of his home
yielded almost IDRI trillion in cash and 51 kilograms of gold.3
The related topic of judicial remuneration also gained public attention around
the same time. During an October parliamentary committee hearing in Jakarta, a
District Court judge from Madura broke down in tears as he described the
challenges faced by judges, including overwhelming workloads and low pay. He
shared stories of being unable to spend time with his family or attend his father-
in-law's funeral. The judge declared that his salary, equivalent to AUD1,000 per
month, was insufficient to meet basic needs, and he noted that financial strain has
contributed to rising divorce rates among judges.4
These recent developments are examples of the sorts of controversy that
regularly beset judicial institutions in Indonesia. They are also representative of
* Senior Lecturer, Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University.
1 Azis Kurmala, 'Former Supreme Court Official Arrested in Bribery Case', Antara News (online, 26
October 2024) <https:/en.antaranews.com/news/331373/former-supreme-court-official-arrested-in-
bribery-case>.
2 Rahmad Nasution, 'Judges' Arrest Underlines Need for Judicial Integrity', Antara News (online, 24
October 2024) <https:/en.antaranews.com/news/331189/judges-arrest-underlines-need-for-judicial-
integrity>.
3 Basudiwa Supraja, 'Ex-Supreme Court Official Zarof Ricar Accused of Accepting Rp 915 Billion and 51
Kilograms of Gold from Case Brokerage', Jakarta Globe (online, 10 February 2025)
<https://jakartaglobe.id/news/exsupreme-court-official-zarof-ricar-accused-of-accepting-rp-915-billion-
and-51-kilograms-of-gold-from-case-brokerage>.
4 Dwi Rahmawati, 'Sampang District Court Judge Cries at House Meeting, Discusses Family and
Economic Issues', Detiknews (online, 8 October 2024) <https:/news.detik.com/berita/d-7577574/hakim-
pn-sampang-nangis-di-rapat-dpr-cerita-persoalan-keluarga-ekonomi>.
[2026 ] No 1
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