Jakarta – In a bid to secure its "dignity and honour" the Supreme Court is considering imprisonment without trial for people deemed to be in contempt.

Senior court officer Susanti Adi Nugroho has suggested jailing without trial anyone – including lawyers and police – who does not pay due respect to the court and its proceedings. Currently, contempt cases have to go through an investigative and judicial process before an offender can be jailed.

Mr Susanti"s proposal defines contempt as 'conduct within and outside the court, which may threaten or assault the court's honour, including physical assault committed by someone in the presence of the court as well as defamation against the court's judges." He suggests journalists and media be charged with contempt if they publish one-sided, subjective news that is judgmental of court proceedings.

They would get the same treatment if they criticised judges' private lives or condemned one party in a case so as to prejudice fair trial. Mr Susanti, head of the Supreme Court's research and development division, said journalists could also be charged for taking pictures in court without permission.

His proposals follow a survey involving 611 judges in district, religious, state administrative and military courts. Most said they had suffered some form of physical or verbal abuse from lawyers, defendants, visitors or other parties involved in hearings. "We have yet to discuss it with the press but that is the guideline," Mr Susanti said.