The Constitutional Court in Jakarta postponed the submission of statements from legal representatives of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) and the President in a judicial review case concerning the National Police Law on Thursday, after both parties requested additional time to prepare their responses.
The hearing formed part of case Number 63/PUU-XXIV/2026, which challenges provisions under Article 8 paragraphs (1) and (2) of Law Number 2 of 2022 on the Indonesian National Police against the 1945 Constitution. The case has drawn attention due to its constitutional implications regarding the institutional position of the police force within Indonesia’s governance structure.
During the session, representatives from both state institutions formally appeared before the panel of constitutional justices but requested that their statements not be read out as scheduled.
Wildan Ramdani, representing the DPR RI legal team from the House of Representatives Expertise Body, informed the court that the legislative body was not yet prepared to present its official position.
“We, the DPR Expert Team, hereby request the postponement of the reading of the statement. We have already submitted the official letter,” Wildan said before the panel of judges.
The DPR’s request was acknowledged by the court without objection from other parties present in the hearing.
A similar request was submitted by the presidential legal team, which included representatives from several government institutions. The National Police were represented by Kombes Dandi Aryo L from the Legal Division, while the Ministry of Law and Human Rights was represented by Jualiansyah, Director of Litigation and Non-Litigation Affairs.
The presidential legal representatives stated that they were not yet ready to present a complete response to the petition and therefore requested that the hearing be rescheduled.
After hearing both requests, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Suhartoyo, together with other panel judges, approved the postponement and set a new date for the continuation of the hearing.
“The hearing today was scheduled to hear statements from the President and the House of Representatives. However, both parties have informed the court that their submissions are not ready and have requested a postponement,” Suhartoyo said during the session.
He added that the court had granted what he described as a final extension for both institutions.
“We instruct both the DPR and the President to make the best use of this opportunity. No further postponements will be granted,” he emphasized.
The case itself was filed by advocate Christian Adrianus Sihite, who is challenging provisions in the Police Law that regulate the institutional positioning of the National Police. The petition argues that Article 8 paragraphs (1) and (2) are inconsistent with the 1945 Constitution and should be declared legally invalid.
At the core of the petition is a request for the court to reassess the structural independence of the National Police, including a proposal that the institution be placed under the Ministry of Home Affairs rather than directly under the President.
The petitioners argue that the current structure may raise concerns regarding neutrality, particularly in legal enforcement scenarios involving political actors or opposition figures. According to the applicants, this arrangement risks creating unequal treatment in law enforcement practice, especially for legal professionals representing politically sensitive cases.
The judicial review was officially registered in February 2026, with an initial preliminary hearing held on February 19, 2026. Since then, the case has progressed through procedural stages, including the submission of written arguments and scheduled hearings for state responses.
In earlier filings, the petitioners requested that the Constitutional Court declare Article 8 paragraph (1) of the National Police Law as contrary to the 1945 Constitution and therefore without binding legal force.
They further argue that the direct institutional placement of the police under the President must be evaluated carefully to ensure adherence to principles of accountability, neutrality, and constitutional balance within Indonesia’s law enforcement framework.
The Constitutional Court is expected to continue reviewing the case once the rescheduled hearing is held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 13:30 Western Indonesia Time (WIB), when both the DPR and presidential legal teams are required to present their full statements without further delay.
