Govt Supports Ethics Standards for Supreme Court Justices

Jakarta - The government supports the application of ethics standards in the selection of Supreme Court justices by the House of Representatives (DPR), according to Coordinating minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto. He made the statement in a press release received here on Tuesday, which was in connection with the stand taken by political party factions in the House of Representatives (DPR), following a comment made by a Supreme Court judge candidate on the subject of rape. Responding to a question on death penalty for rapists, during a fit-and-proper test at the DPR, Supreme Court judge candidate Daming Sanusi said: "There must be thorough consideration before the imposition of death penalty on a rapist because during a rape, both the rapist and the victim enjoy it." Djoko Susilo stated that women from across the country condemned the remarks made by Daming. "This shows that women are continuing to struggle for equal rights in the Indonesian democracy, which will shape the country's future," he pointed out. "The government feels encouraged to see the strength of public sense of justice. This is proof that gender equality is one of the goals of our democracy," Djoko added. Meanwhile, House Commission III chairman I Gede Pasek Suardika said the candidate's statement was inappropriate and the public's disapproval of him would be taken for consideration during the selection process. Commission member from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Indra, opposed the selection of the candidate. Djoko noted that Indonesian democracy would be a failure if the nation's women were not given equal rights. "We all must play a role in ensuring that Indonesia never becomes a nation that denies or ignores the important position of women in the society," he added." (*)