Advocates Must Link with Universities

Media Indonesia, page 13

Advocate organizations must cooperate with universities or institutes in organizing special advocate professional education (PKPA). The said higher education institutions are ones that have a law study program or a law school with a curriculum that emphasizes on the qualifications aspect of expertise or professionalism.  This was conveyed by the Constitutional Court (MK) in the judicial review of Law No. 18/2003 on Advocates as requested/petitioned by the Association of Indonesian Law Schools (APPTHI) Heads.

In its legal considerations, the court insists that the requirement is based on the argument that the standardization of education, including the quality of advocate professional education must be maintained. It is as required by the Advocate Law and in line with the spirit of Article 31 of the 1945 Indonesian Constitution.

Through the Constitutional Court Decision Number 103 / PUU-XI/2013, the Court has affirmed that the right to organize PKPA is an advocate organization. However, it does not mean that they can hold PKPA by ignoring the standards and rules that apply in the education world.

In the implementation of PKPA, the Constitutional Court affirmed that there must be quality standards and achievement targets of certain skill level in the PKPA curriculum. To that end, advocate organizations shall cooperate with the law faculty or law schools that are at least accredited B.